A shelter pod community for homeless residents in Vermont’s largest city is opening this week after several delays, Burlington officials announced Monday.
The emergency housing includes 23 prefabricated single-occupancy pods, and five double-occupancy pods, as well as a community center where resident will have access to food, services and programs. Two more single units are expected to arrive soon and officials expect to have all of the pods occupied by the end of the month, Eighty people applied for the 35 beds, officials said.
“The need for this project to open is so acute,” said Samantha Dunn, the city’s assistant director for community works.
During the sub-zero temperatures and dangerous wind chills last week, the city opened an emergency shelter on Thursday through the weekend, Mayor Miro Weinberger said.
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"This is absolutely necessary in transition and in the support that they're going to get," said Michael Monte, CEO of the Champlain Housing Trust, which is managing the shetler. "Our goal as managers is to support Elmwood guests in transition to permanent housing."
The shelter pod community was expected to open in late November, but the schedule was delayed by supply chain, labor and other issues, an official said.
The city used mainly federal coronavirus relief funding for the development, which cost a total of $1.6 million.
