Tucked away in downtown Burlington, on the site of a former parking lot, a new apartment building is now home to 16 families.
On Monday, around 70 community members — housing advocates, elected officials and donors among them — gathered to celebrate the opening of Main Street Family Housing, a three-story building designed specifically for families coming out of emergency shelters and motels.
The lack of affordable housing is one of the biggest problems facing the state. But U.S. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), one of the speakers at the event, pointed to the new building as evidence that it is not a lost cause.
“You know what? It can be done,” Welch told the crowd. “And here it is. It’s proof it can be done. And we’ve got to keep it up.”
The $8.4 million project is a partnership between Burlington housing nonprofit COTS and affordable housing developer Evernorth. The two organizations are co-owners of the building.
Evernorth is also working with the Champlain Housing Trust to develop Bay Ridge, a 94-unit affordable housing complex in Shelburne.
All renters are eligible for housing vouchers through Burlington Housing Authority. That means no one will pay more than 30 percent of their income on rent. The vouchers are also portable, so if a family moves, they will still qualify for a subsidy.
The building is located directly behind COTS’ Main Street Family Shelter, an emergency shelter for up to 10 families. Tenants living in the building have access to the same social services providers that shelter guests have, including mental health advocates, children’s education advocates and housing caseworkers.
Research has shown that this “supportive housing model” — which combines affordable housing with intensive coordinated services — is effective in helping people maintain stable housing.
The project broke ground in November 2022, and tenants began moving into the building in March. The apartments — primarily one and two bedrooms — are now fully occupied. Forty-four people — including 23 children — live there.
Inside, the walls are painted in calming colors, and large windows allow natural light to flow in. A wraparound patio and common room provide gathering space for tenants. Top-floor units have views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks.
The building was constructed with cost in mind but was also intended to be beautiful and durable, according to COTS development and communications director Rebekah Mott.
Its design “[underscores] the importance of treating people with dignity,” Mott said. “It should look and feel like an apartment anyone would want to live in.”
The organizations used a mix of sources to pay for the building: federal COVID-19 relief dollars; federal tax credit equity administered by Vermont Housing Finance Agency; private donations, including $1 million from the New England Federal Credit Union (now EastRise Credit Union); and a $825,000 congressional earmark secured by Welch.
At the ribbon cutting, which included face painting and an ice cream truck, several speakers noted the building’s ideal location. It is across the street from Edmunds Elementary and Middle schools and easily walkable to City Market, Onion River Co-op; the Fletcher Free Library; Church Street; and playgrounds.
Nancy Owens, president of Evernorth, called the new building
“one small but really mighty response to the suffering we see in our community.”
She said its small footprint is proof that similar apartment buildings are possible in Burlington.
“We have room in this community to do a lot more than we’ve done,” Owens said, “and we need to do it.”
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