FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 29, 2024
CONTACT: Lisa Patlis, (802) 861-3814
[Burlington, VT] – COTS and Evernorth were joined by Senator Peter Welch, residents, funders, and community members on Monday to cut the ribbon on Main Street Family Housing, 16 permanently affordable homes for families formerly living in emergency shelters or motels.
The new multifamily apartment building was constructed on existing COTS property, adjoining their Main Street Family Shelter. These new apartments will provide families with permanent, service-enriched housing as well as continued access to COTS support services, including connections to affordable childcare opportunities, referrals to medical and mental health supports if needed, assistance setting personal and financial goals, as well as a range of housing retention services. The downtown location helps residents maintain easy access to a wide array of amenities and transportation options.
When basic needs like shelter, food, and safety are not being met due to homelessness, children and their parents cannot focus on other needs such as health and education.
“I am so pleased to see COTS’ Main Street Family Shelter is helping support families and children in-need, with pathways to permanent housing. It’s a great example of what the Congressionally Directed Spending program does best – re-invest in the community to support those who need it most,” said Senator Peter Welch. “This combination of shelter and housing is a model that can, and should, be replicated across the country, and that can lead to real progress on helping more families exiting homelessness access affordable housing.”
“COTS is a housing-focused program, and we believe deeply in creating more safe and supportive housing opportunities for families experiencing homelessness,” said COTS’ Executive Director, Jonathan Farrell. “We are proud of the impact this project has had for families in our community, and we are grateful to the many donors, funders, and partners who made this project possible.”
Providing stable housing to families will reverse the cycle of homelessness and have a lasting impact on the health of the community. The Main Street Family Housing project will have a cascading benefit for the children who live there. It will help to alleviate the many social, emotional, and economic tolls homelessness can have by creating a new opportunity for families to thrive in their community in a stable, supportive environment.
“This apartment building is one small but mighty response to the suffering in our community. It is home to 44 people, 23 of whom are children,” said Nancy Owens, President of Evernorth. “While evidence of the severe housing crisis is all around us, we often face resistance when it comes to acceptance of new neighbors, bigger buildings or zoning reforms that will change the look of our community. We must demand more of ourselves, our state and city governments and advocate for solutions that support everyone. We can house everyone.”
Funding totaling $8.4 million from a mix of public and private sources was raised to cover the total development costs. Evernorth’s Housing New England, Fund IV invested over $3.2 million of Low Income Housing Tax Credit equity, which is allocated by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency. The Vermont Housing and Conservation Board provided $1.9 million of the overall cost of the development through the American Rescue Plan Act funding. Generous contributions from donations raised $1.6 million – including $1 million from the New England Federal Credit Union. The City of Burlington provided $145,000 in HOME funds. Senator Peter Welch secured $825,000 through Congressionally Directed Spending. The Burlington Housing Authority awarded 16 project-based vouchers to the project, allowing 100% of the units to be deeply subsidized. The permanent loan was provided by Northfield Savings Bank and additional funds were provided by the Burlington Electric Department.
Co-owners COTS and Evernorth worked in partnership to develop Main Street Family Housing. Duncan Wisniewski is the project architect. J.A. Morrissey is the construction manager.
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COTS advocates for long-term solutions to end homelessness and provide emergency shelter, services, and long-term housing for people who are experiencing homelessness or are marginally housed. Learn more at www.cotsonline.org
Evernorth is a nonprofit organization serving the low and moderate income people of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont with affordable housing and community investments. Evernorth has raised and deployed over $1.6B in equity capital for affordable housing and built more than 17,000 affordable homes and apartments for low and moderate income people across northern New England. Learn more at www.evernorthUS.org.
Photo by Andy Duback Photography
