WEST LEBANON — The Lebanon Seasonal Shelter has closed its doors for the season, as has the Warm Welcome Shelter in Claremont, but those in need of somewhere to sleep in the Upper Valley may not have to wait until next winter.
The Lebanon shelter, located at 160 Mechanic Street wrapped up its third and final season on Monday, after providing 14 beds for three months of bitter New Hampshire winters.
The temporary facility, run by the Upper Valley Haven, will be replaced by a larger shelter and resource center currently under construction in White River Junction.
“A lot is happening behind the scenes right now,” said Upper Valley Haven Director Will Towne.
The new shelter at 608 North Main Street is slated to open toward the end of this summer following a year of construction, though Towne said the opening date is subject to change. The new space will offer guests access to 20 beds, showers, meals, electronics and assistance locating additional resources. While the exact hours are to be determined, the downstairs resource center will generally be open during the day, and the upstairs shelter at night.
“We know there’s such a high need for more services, more housing. Our goals are really to get folks the stability so that they can be successful by having a place that they can access both at night and during the day,” Towne said Wednesday by phone.
The Lebanon shelter was open every night from 5 p.m. until 8 a.m. The Haven expanded the hours on a few occasions, particularly when a cold snap hit the Upper Valley and during snowstorms. There were always two staff members at the shelter, with volunteers serving dinner.
A total of 66 people stayed at the Lebanon seasonal shelter for at least one night between Jan. 3 and April 12 during the shelter’s final winter of operation. While this total is down from the 72 guests last year, the shelter was at capacity most nights throughout the entire season, said Towne. Mid-March was particularly busy.
“March wasn’t very forgiving. We had big snowstorms and all of that. It was definitely a pretty brutal winter,” said Towne.
Those wishing to stay at the shelter could coordinate a bed at the TLC Family Resource Center on Hanover St., which offered them a warm place to wait for the shelter to open. Previously, guests would line up outside the shelter. A primary benefit of the TLC partnership was that it connected people with other services, such as recovery programs, said Towne.
There was a core group of about seven people who stayed at the shelter consistently throughout the entire season, Towne said. With only a handful of nights with an open cot, some people were redirected to other resources. In 10 more dire situations this year with dangerous weather, Upper Valley Haven coordinated alternate housing, such as motel rooms, for the night. In other cases, they were given sleeping bags or tents.
Despite one drug-related issue that required hospital transport by EMS services, there were no significant incidents.
“We had a really successful year,” said Towne.
In Claremont, the Warm Welcome Shelter, hosted by Trinity Church on Broad St., wrapped up its winter season at the end of March after 121 nights for 94 guests, said shelter director Zadiah Eisenberg. Last winter, the shelter was open for 90 days and welcomed 65 guests.
While a portion of guests stayed more than one night, the total number of stays this year was 1,340, up from the 1,034 stays last year.
The shelter added December as an additional month this year, which could account for the increase in guests and stays.
The shelter can host up to 24 people at once, and is run by Eisenberg, managers, host staff and volunteers. March was the busiest month both this winter and last, with up to 20 guests some nights.
More people spent the night in the first week of this season than the first week of last season, indicating that the community is becoming increasingly aware of the resource, Eisenberg said.
The shelter provides clothing, plus two meals a day — breakfast and dinner — and bus passes.
The Claremont Savings Bank Community Center serves as a daytime option for those trying to beat the cold while they wait for the shelter to reopen. Eisenberg noted that it was difficult for some guests to return from the community center, 0.6 miles away, in the evenings when the buses stopped running.
Those leaving the shelter are often referred to Baby Steps Family Assistance, a nearby nonprofit that helps those in need access resources. At Baby Steps, people can access clothing, food, one-on-one support and guidance — from connecting to services such as SNAP, or food stamps, to preparing for a job interview, said Eisenberg.
Last year, there were many guests present throughout the season, but this year, only one person stayed there as many nights as possible. Some people arrive at the shelter with a plan, only intending to stay for a night or two. Others are in need of a more permanent solution.
Eisenberg expressed concern for guests who came in with physical disabilities, such as those impacting mobility, which the shelter was not equipped to handle. She felt that it represents a gap in the system, where those who cannot take care of themselves are left outside without suitable options.
“It was really, very concerning to me, that they were with us because they were so beyond our scope, but there was nowhere else,” said Eisenberg.
Similarly, some people sought out the shelter as part of their discharge plan from hospitals, despite the fact that a bed is not always guaranteed and the shelter is only open at night.
“Discharging someone who’s physically disabled to a shelter that’s only open 12 hours a day is obviously highly concerning, and I don’t blame the hospitals for doing it. They don’t have an alternative,” said Eisenberg.
The shelter also took in an accompanied minor despite not normally allowing it. The family had nowhere else to turn, Eisenberg said.
While the shelter had to ask people to leave for using drugs, there were no overdoses this season, after two last year.
“We were fortunate to have some staff who specifically have experience and work in the recovery field,” said Eisenberg. Those staff could recognize the difference between someone using drugs versus going through withdrawal.
The Warm Welcome Shelter may further increase the length of its season next year depending on funding and the church’s willingness to do so, said Eisenberg. The shelter is fully funded primarily by community fundraising and private donations.
