In the past year the Healthcare for the Homeless facility in Baltimore has turn away more than 2,000 homeless patients and donations earmarked for more staff and resources due to a lack of space.

“We’ve completely outgrown our current location,” HCH spokesman Kevin Lindamood said. “We’ve got people doubled and tripled in offices and cubicles lining the hallways.”

HCH kicked off a much-needed upgrade by breaking ground on a 54,000-square-foot facility Thursday in the heart of Baltimore.

The $17 million center will be at the corner of Hillen Street and Fallsway and is scheduled to open its doors in early 2010. The space more than doubles the 24,000 square feet that the HCH currently works in at 111 Park Ave.

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Along with more space for staff, the new building will include the state’s first dental program for the homeless, increased pediatric facilities and an in-house pharmacy.

“This is a big step; to have everything under one roof is a huge help,” said Helena Weathers, a success story of the HCH program.

Weathers overcame a drug addiction and mental health issues including depression by working with the health care professionals for free. She said the pharmacy would be an especially important addition because it would ensure that patients get the medication they need.

“I remember those days when I was given a prescription and the pharmacist was too far away,” she said. “I didn’t have the fare to get there, so a lot of times I wasn’t able to go get my medicine.”

Since first turning to HCH for help in 1998, Weathers has regained custody of her children and works as the program director for HOPE, a center for mentally ill homeless people.

“We have thousands and thousands of homeless people, and health care is the first step to recovery to help these people get off the street and stay off the street,” Sen. Barbara Mikulski said.

Lindamood said more than 30,000 people were homeless at some point in the past year. The old facility provided help to 6,000 of them in 2007, but HCH is hopeful that that number will rise by as much as 20 percent when the new location is opened.

“We are doing a lot more than we have ever done; no doubt more still needs to be done, but I take great pride in today and it should encourage us to do more,” Gov. Martin O’Malley said.

O’Malley was Baltimore’s mayor four years ago when HCH and its president and chief executive officer, Jeff Singer, first began planning for the new facility.

Current Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon was also in attendance at the groundbreaking and recognized Singer and the rest of his staff for the good they were doing in Baltimore.

“It’s not just about bricks and mortar, it’s about building a future for the generations to come after us,” Dixon said.

daniel.murphy@baltimoreexaminer.com