WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — The Upper Valley Haven dedicated its new year-round shelter and resource center Wednesday, with an opening date for the 20-bed facility expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
The Haven, which has served the region since 1980, cut a ceremonial ribbon to mark a milestone of the progress made at the Patrick and Marcelle Leahy Shelter and Resource Center at 608 North Main St.
“When someone unexpectedly needs a place to go, it can be hard to figure out the next steps,” Will Towne, the Haven’s executive director, said in a statement. “Shelters across the state are often full, with waitlists that stretch for months.”
The Leahy Center is designed as a place where people can find immediate relief, including bed reservations, meals and staff support, Towne said.
Following over a year of construction, the building — on the site of the former 25,000 Gifts building — houses a 20-bed, year-round emergency shelter on its second floor and a daytime resource center on the first.
Guests will sign up nightly rather than holding a bed for a set period. Each person spending the night will get a semi-private pod with three-quarter walls, a cot, a small table and a light. The building will be staffed around the clock, and guests can connect with Haven service coordinators on site, according to Haven’s staff.
The first-floor resource center is intended to serve more than just those staying upstairs.
“Community members who are precariously housed, living on a fixed income, or navigating a hard stretch will be able to meet with a Haven Service Coordinator and use computer workspaces for job applications and benefit enrollments,” information released by Haven stated. “Partner organizations will also be able to provide services in the building.”
The Leahy Center replaces the Lebanon Seasonal Shelter, a three-year arrangement with the city of Lebanon that has reached the end of its intended term. The Lebanon shelter had 14 beds and operated about three months a year; the city-owned building is slated for demolition to make way for a roundabout. Sixty-six people stayed there over roughly 100 nights this past season, and an average of two people a night were turned away for lack of space, with overflow placed in hotels at public expense.
The Haven raised $10.2 million for the project in just under nine months, with $7.5 million going toward construction and at least $2 million set aside to cover operating costs for the first five years. Public funders included $2 million from USDA Rural Development, $1.5 million from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, $500,000 from the Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity and $125,000 from the city of Lebanon.
Studio Nexus designed the building and Estes and Gallup constructed it. The property sits within walking distance of employment centers, health care and government offices.
It was named after the Leahy’s to recognize their longtime public service to Vermont — Marcelle devoted her career to nursing, while Partick secured $2 million in funding for the project before retiring from the U.S. Senate.
The Haven supports more than 130 households across its housing programs and helped 108 families move into permanent housing in the past fiscal year, according to the release. It expects the Leahy Center to provide more than 5,000 bed nights annually and serve over 100 individuals a year in the shelter alone.
“Now we turn to using this building to be an agent of lasting change for the people we serve, with our staff based here, room for our partners, and a calming environment for the guidance our guests require,” said Kathy Welling, board president of the Upper Valley Haven.
