Filling a Critical Gap: New Maternity Home Planned for Salisbury’s Vulnerable Mothers

SALISBURY, Md. — Local nonprofit organization Heal the City Ministries is preparing to open Noa’s Maternity Hope Cottage, a home for pregnant and parenting women facing homelessness or unstable housing. Expected to open in 2027, the early 1900s home located off Nanticoke Road in Salisbury will fill a major gap in care for women on Delmarva.

“There is no maternity home within 150 miles of Salisbury… So, we’re really partnering with the Eastern Shore Pregnancy Center and some of the pregnancy centers in Delaware to bridge that gap,” Board Chair of Heal The City Ministries Cara Konlian said.

Postpartum women will be able to stay at the home for up to nine months after delivery, and benefit from a plethora of resources to help them and their children thrive.

“They’re going to have a house mother that will be living with them, and they’ll have a schedule in terms of making breakfast together, doing devotions together, and life skills and parenting classes… Doing some work in terms of finding a physician; they’ll have mentors to take them to their doctors’ visits.”

The 6.5 acre property won’t just serve mothers — in the future, Heal The City Ministries plans to introduce more resources for those facing other forms of hardship.

“We’re also starting Heal The city Garage, which will be an on-the-job training for men and women who want to enter the auto industry. And eventually, we’ll have a fully compassionate ministry center that will house addiction services, services for kids, as well as immigration services.”

CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County Molly Hilligoss says the cottage will help fill a major gap in resources for expecting and postpartum young mothers experiencing homelessness. “We have received quite a few phone calls every month, and this is a great opportunity for us to refer these families to their resource.”