Our History

1982

The story of COTS begins in 1982, when a group of concerned community members and organizations first come together to address the needs of the growing homeless population in Burlington.

By October, this group of volunteers, now called the Committee on Temporary Shelter, prepares for the upcoming winter. On Christmas Eve 1982, they open the doors to the “COTS Waystation,” offering overnight shelter in the Sara Holbrook Community Center for adults without homes.

1983

COTS incorporates as a nonprofit organization and expands to a year-round operation.

Within the year, COTS makes its first step toward providing a full range of services for people who are homeless and marginally housed. The COTS Individual program (now called Individual Services) begins offering counseling and referrals -- long-term solutions to homelessness. COTS also expands to provide affordable housing opportunities for individuals at the former Wilson Hotel, adjacent to the Waystation on Church Street.

1988

COTS begins a new program to combat the ever- increasing problem of entire families without homes. With the help of the Burlington Community Land Trust, COTS turns an abandoned firehouse on North Champlain Street into the Firehouse Family Shelter. This shelter, now part of COTS Family Services, can serve up to five families at a time, providing them with resources to find permanent housing. School attendance for children staying at the Firehouse stands at 100 percent, compared to the national rate of 43 percent for homeless students.

Also in 1988, with the help of the Community Health Center, COTS opens the Daystation, a daytime drop-in shelter for adults. It incorporates the Homeless Healthcare Project, which connects clients to the services of the Community Health Center and the Safe Harbor Clinic. Daystation staff and COTS case managers provide counseling and support services.

1991

COTS opens St. John's Hall, an 18-unit, single room occupancy (SRO) residence providing affordable housing for the homeless and working poor.

1992

St. John's Hall receives national recognition, winning the Maxwell Award for Excellence from the Fannie Mae Foundation.

1994

COTS launches the Families in Transition program, which provides shelter and on-site social services to nine single-parent households for up to two years. It serves as an example of how COTS strives to provide lasting solutions to homelessness.

1999

The waiting list for the Firehouse Family Shelter begins to grow at an alarming rate. COTS responds by pursuing every available housing option, from apartments to motels to vacant student dorms. Recognizing that families need up to six months to stabilize their lives and succeed in the transition from homelessness to independent living, COTS starts the search for a   new site that could provide transitional housing to homeless families with children.

1999

COTS teams with the Burlington Housing Authority (BHA) to address one of the root causes of homelessness in our community: the lack of affordable housing. In April, COTS and BHA launch the Rental Opportunity Center (ROC), which connects qualified candidates with landlords who accept Section 8 (federal housing subsidy) vouchers. More than 100 landlords participate in the program. They can list their apartments for free with a Housing Search Specialist, who works with the landlord to find a qualified tenant. By serving landlords and tenants alike, COTS and BHA help nearly 600 families and individuals find safe, affordable housing. The ROC receives a "Best Practice" designation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

2001

A local church donates a neglected rooming house to COTS, which renovates it in order to preserve 10 units of housing for homeless individuals and families. The building, on North Winooski Avenue, provides transitional housing for individuals taking the first step from shelter to housing. It is named the Smith House in honor of Calvin Coolidge Smith, the patron who originally donated the building to the church. Today two families and seven single adults live in this renovated building in downtown Burlington.

2002

On March 11, with the help of key supporters and the State of Vermont, COTS purchases a 200-year-old brick building on Main Street with the goal of providing transitional housing to homeless families with children. The summer is spent on renovations and safety improvements, such as installing sprinklers and a state-of-the-art fire alarm system, and by Nov. 9, the first household is welcomed to the Main Street Family Shelter. The shelter can accommodate up to 10 families with children at a time, tripling COTS’ capacity to shelter families who are homeless. As at the Firehouse Shelter, COTS staff offer housing referrals, case management and ongoing support to help families get back on their feet.

2008

For the first time in COTS’ 26 years, COTS shelters operate at overflow in the summer. With the economic downturn in late 2008, growing numbers of homeless families and individuals turn to COTS for help. The only option is putting up people at outlying motels – a costly alternative that presents significant hardships, especially for homeless families. COTS works diligently that fall to secure a space that could be converted into safe, temporary shelter.

2009

In February Champlain College grants COTS the use of a building it recently purchased -- the former Eagles Club on St. Paul Street – while it completes the planning and permitting process to convert it into student housing. With a tremendous outpouring of business support, community donations and volunteer labor, the building opens as a shelter for up to 10 families (on the 2nd floor) and 16 adults (on the first floor) just 8 weeks later.

Also in 2009, construction begins on a transitional housing facility in Winooski for 20 homeless veterans, made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

25 Years of COTS: 1982-2007