As bitter cold hits #Vermont, new shelters open for the first time this season
by VTDigger, December 9, 2025
Excerpts: "Emergency shelters in Barre and Brattleboro opened Thursday, offering relief to people without housing.
[...]
"These temperatures are not uncommon for Vermont in the winter, Danzig said, but he still recommended people to cover their face in higher winds to avoid frostbites, wear several layers of clothes and make sure pets are inside.
"The Office of Economic Opportunity at the Department for Children and Families has recently created a new Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program, in partnership with Vermont Interfaith Action, to support people experiencing homelessness during periods of extreme cold.
"The program will operate from Dec. 1 to April 1, when temperatures reach at least -10 degrees Fahrenheit, with projects in #BenningtonVT, #BurlingtonVT, #NewportVT, #RutlandVT, #BarreVT, #MontpelierVT and #BrattleboroVT, Lily Sojourner, director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, said.
"The shelters in Barre and Brattleboro opened for the first time Thursday night and provided relief for 26 people, according to Sojourner. Sojourner said this program is just one of many others operating this winter, including the General Assistance Emergency Hotel Program and seasonal shelters across the state.
"Tess Taylor, homeless and housing liaison for the city of Barre, said the shelter at the Congregational Church also hosted people in need on Thursday. The space has a capacity of 12 people and will continue to operate when temperatures are around zero, providing food, cots and blankets, Taylor said."
From the State of Vermont's website:
"#ExtremeCold Weather #Shelter Program Providers:
Bennington County – Bennington County Coalition for the Homeless
Chittenden County – Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity
Northeast Kingdom – Northeast Kingdom Community Action
Rutland County – City of Rutland
Washington County – Barre Congregational Church & Montpelier Emergency Cold Weather Shelter, Inc.
Windham County – Brattleboro Emergency Winter Shelter Steering Committee
The State of Vermont’s Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program (#ECWSP) is designed to support community-based emergency shelter operations during periods of extreme cold for individuals experiencing homelessness who have no other safe housing option. The goal of the ECWSP is to prevent cold-related illness or death by ensuring access to safe, temporary shelter during Vermont’s severe winter weather."
Link to Vermont's Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program:
https://dcf.vermont.gov/oeo/programs/ECWSP
#EmergencySheltersVermont #EmergencyShelters #TransitionalHousing #Unhoused
#Homeless #Houseless #StayWarm #ArcticBlast #PolarVortex #Shelters
