Burlington secures funding for 1st-of-its-kind recovery shelter in the city

Read the full article at wcax.com. Below is an excerpt

Burlington has secured funding for a first-of-its-kind shelter in the city that aims to help unhoused adults seeking recovery from substance use.

The growing issue of homelessness and open drug use on Queen City streets is visible to many residents.

“I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’ve never seen it as bad as this,” said Mukhtar Abdul Khaleiq of Winooski.

The new 12-bed shelter will be in a building owned by the Howard Center and operated by the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity.

The Burlington City Council on Monday approved $104,000 from Burlington’s opioid settlement fund to help staff the shelter, ensuring two people can be on-site at all times.

“We want to make sure that staff are well supported and that we are operating under best practices, which for shelter provision is having two staff members on duty,” said Sarah Russell, who recently switched from being the city’s special assistant to end homelessness to become CVOEO’s emergency director.

Russell says the shelter is classified as a level two recovery shelter, meaning it will be a drug and alcohol-free facility— the only one in Burlington.