COTS Shelters for Individuals

THE COTS WAYSTATION

This is a 36-bed shelter for men and women, ages 18 and older, who have no other place to sleep at night except for the streets. Located on lower Church Street in downtown Burlington, the shelter is open 6:15 p.m. to 8 a.m., 365 days a year.

THE EAGLES’ NEST

This new overnight shelter, located on the first floor of the former Eagles Club on St. Paul Street, can accommodate up to 16 adults. It opened in April 2009 as a temporary solution to meet the immediate needs of our community’s growing homeless population. The building is on loan to COTS from Champlain College while it completes the planning and permitting process to build student housing on the site. Like the Waystation, it is open 6:15 p.m. to 8 a.m. year-round.

In 2009, 316 individuals — an average of 33 a night — stayed at the Waystation and Eagles Nest, COTS emergency shelters for individuals. Shelter demand typically slows in warmer months, but these shelters operated at full capacity in the summer of 2008 and 2009 -- the first time in COTS’ history.

THE COTS DAYSTATION

This daytime drop-in shelter is open 365 days a year seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It offers a refuge from the streets and access to an array of services and medical care. This is where individuals can meet with COTS staff and connect with local resources, receive mail and telephone calls, and find support toward their goal of self-sufficiency. Daystation staff provide support, assistance and referrals, as well as educational and recreational opportunities whenever possible.

In 2009, 750 different individuals — an average of 57 people a day — used the Daystation, the only drop-in center for homeless adults in Chittenden County. With the help of volunteers, a noontime meal was served every day.

COTS Shelters for Families

THE FIREHOUSE FAMILY SHELTER

The first shelter COTS created specifically for families with children, the Firehouse opened in 1988. It is located in Burlington’s Old North End and can accommodate five families at a time.

THE MAIN STREET FAMILY SHELTER

Opened in November 2002 after a major capital campaign and renovation effort that took just eight months, this facility provides shelter for up to 10 families. All COTS family shelters are staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

THE CHAMPLAIN FAMILY SHELTER

Located on the top floor of the former Eagles Club on St. Paul Street, this shelter has capacity for 10 families. It is named for Champlain College, which granted COTS temporary use of the building in February 2009. Thanks to a remarkable outpouring of community and business support, the interior of this and the Eagles’ Nest was constructed and furnished in fewer than 8 weeks.

In 2009, 95 families stayed at either the Main Street, Firehouse, or Champlain Family Shelter, including 135 parents and 171 children. More than a third of those families had at least one employed parent.

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