WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — By the end of the month, six people are set to move into a new home for the chronically homeless near Route 5 in White River Junction.
The new home is a three-story, 18,000-square-foot building with 18 one-bedroom apartments. It is located next to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and Upper Valley Haven. Each resident will receive support services from Upper Valley Haven and Twin Pines staff, along with a handmade quilt from local groups.
About 70 people attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, where U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., spoke. Housing is the foundation of our lives, Balint said. She emphasized how the community’s support will help residents feel connected.
The project began in 2017 and was a collaboration between Twin Pines Housing, Upper Valley Haven, and St. Paul’s Church. Twin Pines Housing bought the property from St. Paul’s in 2023 and developed it. Upper Valley Haven will provide social services like job counseling, financial guidance, and mental health support.
The $8.2 million project took 13 months to build and was funded mainly by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Federal Tax Credit Equity, and the Vermont Housing and Finance Authority.
Each apartment is 494 square feet with a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom with an accessible shower. The building also has common rooms and office spaces for staff on the first floor.
To qualify for housing, individuals must have been homeless for at least a year and have a disability. Priority will be given to those already in Upper Valley Haven shelters, according to Twin Pines Executive Director Andrew Winter.
Twin Pines, St. Paul’s, and Upper Valley Haven are among several organizations working to address the housing crisis in the area. Reports from Vermont and New Hampshire show there is a severe shortage of affordable housing.
The Vermont report found that a quarter of renters spend more than half their income on housing. In New Hampshire, only 13% of two-bedroom rentals are affordable to median-income households.
Rising construction costs, high interest rates, and a lack of available housing have driven up rents. Vermont has one of the lowest rental vacancy rates in the country at 3%, making it difficult for renters, Winter said.
As housing becomes less affordable, homelessness is rising. Vermont has the second-highest rate of homelessness in the U.S., while New Hampshire also faces challenges.
Ellen Hender, a manager at Vital Communities, said more people are becoming homeless, despite many of them being employed. It’s just really hard to find housing that fits their budgets, she said.
Rent for tenants in the new building will be 30% of their income, and the first six residents are expected to move in by the end of the month. The goal is to fill the building by December, said Haven Executive Director Michael Redmond. He emphasized that the Haven will provide services to help tenants succeed and be part of the community.