New beginnings

How the Samaritan Inn became a blueprint for modern and peoplecentric homeless shelter design

Shelters are not intended to be homes but temporary residences where inhabitants can land back on their feet. Yet, as of this year, over half a million people are reported as being homeless in the United States alone. As residents spend extended periods of time in a shelter, architects and designers are finding ways to design shelters without reinforcing trauma, and as places where residents feel welcomed and supported.

Designed by DBA Architects, The Samaritan Inn is a first of its kind US-based 16,000 square foot homeless shelter thoughtfully created to inspire learning, growth and, ultimately, new beginnings to meet the rising challenge of increased demand for long-term homeless housing and people-centric amenities.

Located in McKinney, Texas, the Samaritan Inn provides vital resources such as job retraining, mental health services, financial counseling, and day care services alongside residential units and market-rate apartments with subsidized rent to make those seeking shelter feel normal, at home, and hopeful.

First McKinney Church began the Samaritan Inn project over 30 years ago. Intended to help willing people gain dignity and independence, it initially emerged as a comprehensive homeless program. DBA Architects offered their services pro bono as a part of their Architecture With A Purpose Program to bring this project to fruition and create space for the program to make an impact.

The design team placed an emphasis on creating spaces that go above and beyond to fulfill human needs and necessities. The innovative project includes an impressive pavilion building for administration, dining, day care, job retraining, counseling offices, job search, library, chapel and recreation. The shelter offers 200 residential housing units—100 family units, 50 single male units and 50 single female units.

Even more, the designers have also taken into consideration those who have gone through their training and are saving up to rent or purchase their own home—the Samaritan Inn offers market-rate apartments with subsidized rent available to residents who are in this transition period.

Future plans also include a village green and outdoor recreation facilities for children. It is not your typical overnight stay homeless shelter—it is more akin to a college campus. Its ultimate goal is educating, feeding, sheltering, counseling and eventually graduating its residents to go back out into the world as productive and contributing members of society.

Most homeless shelters refuse to accept pets, resulting in those seeking help refusing to accept it as they are unable to bring their four-legged companions with them. To accommodate this, the design firm pinpointed pet kennels as essential in the development’s design. Other must-haves included a dining/flex space, classrooms and donations center.

The Samaritan Inn operates solely off private donations, receiving no government grants or assistance. This posed a challenge regarding the budget for construction. Therefore, the designer needed to find a solution to provide the space and units needed at the lowest possible cost.

This was accomplished by utilizing wood framing in lieu of concrete and steel; stained concrete flooring in lieu of more expensive finishes; and exposing the roof rafters which eliminated costly ceiling systems. The team also focused on utilizing masonry on the pavilion, and used less expensive Hardy panels on the residential buildings.

The Samaritan Inn is inspiring and uplifting with lots of natural light, creating a space where residents can feel welcomed and supported without reinforcing trauma