The Upper Valley Haven has three shelters that accommodate families with children, adults without children and seasonal, emergency shelter during cold weather months for adults only.
Byrne House Family Shelter
46 Beds, Accommodates Eight Families
The Haven Byrne House provides a temporary home for families. The Case Managers, who serve as residents’ advisors, work with each family to achieve financial, housing, education, child development and transportation objectives. There is no time limit for stays; the average length of stay in 2010 was 85 days; the median number of days was 59, ranging from two to 253. All residents of the Family Shelter are required to search for employment, save a percentage of their earnings to be used for securing housing, and work together with other residents completing community tasks. After families leave the Shelter, 75–80% of the guests find and maintain permanent housing and hold jobs, thus participating in the economic mainstream, as documented anecdotally by the staff who remain in contact with them.
Hixon House Adult Shelter
To meet the rapidly increasing need for an adult shelter in the Upper Valley region, the Haven completed and opened a new shelter for single men and women, and couples without minor children in June of 2010. The new shelter was erected on our campus using the remaining portion of our original building (an addition that was built in 1988) and new construction. The average length of stay in 2010 was 37 days and the median number of days was 26. Like residents of the Byrne House Family Shelter, all residents of the Hixon House Adult Shelter are required to search for employment, save a percentage of their earnings to be used for securing housing, and work together with other residents completing community tasks.