L’ANSE — The Baraga County Shelter Home has announced that the domestic violence organization has been awarded a major grant to improve its emergency shelter facilities. BCSH has been operating the shelter home in L’Anse since 1984 as a safe space for women and their children fleeing intimate partner abuse. Lack of funding for routine maintenance and unexpected repairs has been an ongoing concern for decades.

“Our existing funding streams are focused on delivery of services to survivors, with very little room for structural improvements or shelter repairs,” explained Executive Director Celeste Hendrickson. “Like many (Upper Peninsula) buildings, the home was built over 50 years ago and in critical need of updating major systems. This grant allows us to make necessary improvements that will help survivors and their children be safer and more comfortable for decades to come.”

The grant is awarded by Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s Office of Rental Assistance and Homeless Solutions, as a one-time allocation of $3 million to support critical infrastructure and capacity needs for emergency shelters and transitional housing in Michigan. The purpose is to address emergency shelter infrastructure needs related to access and safety, as well as increase the number of available transitional housing units. Grants ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 were awarded around the state to homeless and domestic violence shelters.

BCSH reports that work has already begun on the 20 identified needs. The project includes everything from replacing the main sewer and water supply lines to common sense landscaping that will help prevent future flooding like what happened in May 2025, which had resulted in the unexpected loss of the shelter’s furnace.

Other structural improvements include installing a sump pump, central air conditioning, a generator, weather-resistant siding, and gutters. The worn and failing kitchen cabinets, handicap ramp, internal plumbing and electrical lines, and more are being replaced and the interior will be freshly painted.