BURLINGTON, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today joined the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) to celebrate the opening of a new winter warming shelter in the Queen City, located at 58 Pearl Street in Burlington. The new overnight, low barrier shelter will have capacity for 30 people and run from January 15th until the end of April. This added shelter capacity, made possible by COTS’ successful acquisition of a former federally owned building, will function jointly with the COTS Daystation shelter to provide respite for unsheltered individuals.
“Vermont’s brutally cold winter weather makes finding shelter even harder, and we already face one of the highest rates of homelessness in the country. COTS’ new warming shelter will bolster Burlington’s emergency housing resources and reduce barriers for those seeking safety this winter,” said Senator Welch. “I am thankful to the COTS team for their tireless work to get this space ready and keep people out of the cold. This is one step forward in the fight to support and protect people who are unhoused, and the fight continues. We’ll keep working to surge federal resources back to the state and local communities.”
“We are grateful for the support from Senator Welch’s office in helping COTS navigate the acquisition of the property for use as a winter Warming Station. We are excited to offer this crucial resource immediately to our unhoused neighbors,” said Jonathan Farrell, Executive Director of COTS. “Beyond this winter, we will utilize this building to create a new home for our Waystation shelter, increasing capacity and creating a more dignified, trauma-informed setting for those we serve. At the same time, we recognize that shelter is not the answer to homelessness, but rather a step on the way to housing. We will continue to advocate with our community for increased affordable housing, and an increase in long-term, residential settings for folks with high medical needs and for those with acute mental health care needs.”
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