This story, by Report for America corps member Carly Berlin, was produced through a partnership between VTDigger and Vermont Public.
With subzero temperatures expected to set in on Friday, communities across Vermont are opening emergency shelters for people experiencing homelessness.
VTDigger/Vermont Public confirmed that seven extreme cold weather shelter locations will be open over the weekend. Most are part of a state-funded network of overflow shelters that activate when temperatures fall into the negatives as an attempt to save lives. You can find information on how to access those shelters below.
Other communities may open more informal shelters, too. Vermont Emergency Management suggests calling your town office to ask about local warming centers or to call 2-1-1 to find a facility near you.
Bennington
Bennington’s extreme cold shelter is located at 200 Pleasant St., at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.
It will be operating on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, according to Roxanne Carelli, executive director of operational development and shelter services at Bennington County Coalition for the Homeless.
The shelter will be open from 6:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. each night.
The space has capacity for 35 people.
Adults, families, and unaccompanied minors are allowed, according to Carelli. Sex offenders will not be admitted. Well-behaved pets will be allowed.
Brattleboro
Brattleboro’s extreme cold shelter is located at the Beloved Community church at 18 Town Crier Dr.
The shelter typically operates Sunday through Thursday nights throughout the winter. It will activate on Friday and Saturday night this week for the cold snap, according to Rick DeAngelis, a project officer with Vermont Interfaith Action, the organization that oversees the cold weather shelters.
The shelter will be open from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m.
It has space for 15 people.
Only adults are allowed, and pets must be registered as service animals to be admitted, DeAngelis said.
Burlington
Burlington’s extreme cold shelter is located at the Miller Center in the city’s New North End neighborhood, at 130 Gosse Court.
The shelter will open for four consecutive nights — Friday night through Monday night — according to a press release from Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak.
The shelter will open at 5 p.m. and close at 8 a.m. each day. It has a capacity for 100 people.
Only adults will be admitted, and pets are allowed. Transportation will be provided from several locations in the city’s core to the shelter: 95 North Ave. (COTS Daystation), 228 N. Winooski Ave. (Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity’s Community Resource Center) and the Fletcher Free Library.
Montpelier
Montpelier’s extreme cold shelter is located inside City Hall at 39 Main St.
The shelter will open tonight (Thursday, Jan. 22) according to Montpelier Emergency Cold Weather Shelter’s website. Shelter coordinator Andrea Stander said she intends to keep the shelter open Friday and Saturday if volunteer staffing allows.
This shelter uses a higher threshold — 10 degrees — to open. That means Stander is eyeing remaining open throughout the coming week, she said.
The shelter opens at 8 p.m. and closes at 8 a.m.
Pets are not allowed at this shelter. There’s space for 15 people.
Barre
Barre’s extreme cold shelter is located at the Barre Congregational Church at 35 Church St.
It will be open Friday night through Tuesday, according to the Montpelier shelter website.
Its hours are 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Newport
Newport’s cold weather shelter is located at 371 Main St.
It will be operating Friday night and Saturday night, according to Casey Winterson, director of economic and community based services for Northeast Kingdom Community Action.
The shelter will be open from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
The shelter is open to adults over the age of 18 and has 12 beds. No pets are allowed.
Rutland City
Rutland’s extreme cold shelter is located at the city’s library at 10 Court St.
The shelter will open on Friday and Saturday nights, according to Tom Morgan, project officer with Vermont Interfaith Action.
It has space for 20 people.
