The Haven is excited to announce the start of a $7 million campaign to secure the funds needed to construct a 20-bed emergency shelter and a community resource center focused on helping people to secure housing and lead self-directed lives. We have already secured $4,150,000 in gifts, grants and pledges towards this project. In addition, the Haven plans to raise an additional $1.5 million to support the start-up operations of this essential program that will reduce homelessness and save lives. The capital portion of the campaign will occur over the next nine months allowing the Haven to break ground on this project in the spring of 2025. Construction is anticipated to last one year.
The Haven has secured an option to purchase the property at 608 North Main Street, the site of the former 25,000 Gifts & Woolens store. The existing building will be demolished and a new 9,000 s.f. two-story building will be added at this central White River Junction location. It will include locker/storage space, bathrooms and shower facilities, laundry, lounge and common areas, a kitchen, and offices, and a place for overflow single sleeping bunks for people who work nights or who need a place for daytime shelter. The sleeping quarters will include semi-private cubicle spaces for all guests. Two will be designed with additional physical disability accommodations.
In addition to providing shelter, the new building will host a Resource Center to help guests and community residents find permanent housing. During the day, Haven staff will be available to help people with their housing search needs or other barriers to secure housing, employment, identification, public benefits, and other needs. Computer workspaces for the community will allow the essential communication we take for granted in this modern world. The Resource Center will be designed to include spaces for other essential service providers to make scheduled visits. Partner organizations include Good Neighbor Health Clinic, WISE services for domestic violence survivors, HIV/AIDs programs, substance misuse treatment and recovery, mental health service providers, education programs on topics including budgeting, credit restoration, best tenancy practices and more. This capacity of the Resource Center brings services to where people are naturally gathering and addresses challenges of lack of access to transportation, being uncomfortable or feeling not welcomed in other locations, not being aware of services offered or how these organizations can help and many others.
Providing shelter to people who are without a home has been one of the Haven’s essential services since we were founded almost 45 years ago by members of St. Paul’s Church and several other community churches. Since the completion of the Hixon House Adult Shelter in 2010 the Haven has added no permanent shelter capacity. Yet, the problem of homelessness is now at historic levels in the Upper Valley in both Vermont and New Hampshire. Multiple reasons are at the root cause of this crisis which became more visible during and after the COVID pandemic. While the long-term solution requires an epic expansion of permanent housing, the addition of shelter beds as an interim solution will save lives. And the community will also benefit from a center where people who are unhoused or at risk of losing their homes can receive the support, advice, resources and encouragement they need to address their situation.
For more information about this project and the campaign, email Laura Gillespie, Director of Development & Communications at the Haven or call 802-478-1803.
