- Home
- Your Government
- Departments
- Human Services
- Emergency Winter Shelter - 160 Mechanic Street
Emergency Winter Shelter - 160 Mechanic Street
Project Updates
Delay in opening date:
Due to construction delays, the anticipated opening is January 6, 2024
The closing date is still anticipated to be April 14, 2024
Private funding secured to date:
- $25,000 Dartmouth Health for renovations
- $20,000 Mascoma Bank for renovations
- $50,000 Jack & Dorothy Byrne Foundation for operations
On July 19, 2023, the City Council authorized the purchase of 160 Mechanic Street, Lebanon. The authorized purchase of this location was primarily to ensure the State of New Hampshire acquires the required right-of-way area for a planned 2029 transportation project (roundabout intersection) that is part of the improvements to the Mechanic Street corridor. The City closed on the property on August 31, 2023, and now officially owns the property. As the building is currently vacant and will remain so until it is demolished for construction of the intersection, the City of Lebanon has been working with the Upper Valley Haven to assess the feasibility of renovating and operating the building as an emergency winter shelter.
As was revealed by a Point-In-Time Count conducted in January of this year, sixteen individuals were found to be unsheltered in the Lebanon area. It is the goal of the City, in conjunction with the Haven, to assist as many of those individuals as possible with finding refuge from the cold this winter. As such an emergency winter shelter will be established to provide beds for up to fifteen individuals during the overnight hours from approximately December 15, 2023, to April 14, 2024.
Private funding has been obtained to help offset the capital and operational costs for the shelter. We are grateful to Dartmouth-Health and the Jack & Dorothy Byrne Foundation for their generosity and support of this effort. Additional requests are being made for funding and we are hopeful that we will receive additional dollars.
The City of Lebanon is committed to enhancing the lives of its residents. By providing a refuge from the cold and offering a chance for individuals to regain stability, the city strives to make a positive impact and demonstrate compassion for those experiencing homelessness.
Is the plan to have the emergency winter shelter plan open for more than 1 year?
The State Fire Marshall currently allows for temporary/emergency shelters to operate with approval from the local authority having jurisdiction (Fire Chief or designee) for no more than 120 days total. Therefore, the operational plan is for this coming winter only. The Upper Valley Haven is in the early stages of developing a year-round, 20-bed shelter in Hartford with an unknown outcome at this time. We will revisit the need for an emergency winter shelter in Lebanon for the 2024-2025 winter season if it is still needed and the experience in 2023-2024 was positive.
What dates would the shelter be open?
The goal is to have the shelter open 7 days a week, 5:00pm - 8:00am, from approximately December 15, 2023, through April 14, 2024.
How many people will be allowed to shelter each night?
The goal is to provide shelter for up to 15 people per night. Once architectural plans have been finalized, we will know how many beds will be available.
How will this “temporary shelter” not create a more permanent and growing problem? Once the winter dates are past, what happens to the temporarily housed? Will they be transitioned back to their families, or will they be back to living unsheltered?
The goal of this shelter is to save lives. Shelters also provide an opportunity to work with people who are unhoused and help them consider their futures and connect to essential community services. Shelter guests will be referred to service coordinators who can assist with housing plans. Some guests may be able to secure housing by the time the shelter closes for the season. Other guests may return to the outdoors, either camping or living in their vehicles. Housing ends homelessness, so the goal is to help shelter guests obtain housing.
Will the shelter be available only to residents of Lebanon or Grafton County?
Preference will be for residents of Lebanon and Grafton County. However, given the transient nature of some of the Upper Valley’s unhoused population, the shelter will be available to residents of Windsor County, VT.
Will there be criminal background checks, drug/alcohol screening, mental health assessment?
Criminal background checks will not be required.
At intake, shelter staff will assess current drug/alcohol use and mental health. If a person is under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, that is not a barrier to shelter. A safety assessment will take place to determine if the shelter guest can maintain safety for themselves and others.
Will employment income or disability income be taken into account? For those who have income, will they be asked to make any nominal entry fee for the shelter? Will there be a refundable deposit to cover potential damages?
Emergency winter shelters do not typically charge guests a fee. Having to pay for a shelter bed could be a barrier to accessing shelter.
What restrictions will be placed on the sheltered? For example, will drugs and alcohol be prohibited? Weapons?
Drugs and alcohol will be prohibited on site. No firearms are permitted in the shelter.
What duties will be required of the sheltered (for example, will they be given tasks for care and maintenance of the shelter and their spaces)?
Shelter guests will be encouraged to clean up after themselves and maintain the shelter space for future guests. When it operated a winter shelter in White River Junction, the Haven found that many guests were eager to help with these types of tasks. The City of Lebanon is responsible for building maintenance.
Will shelter guests be allowed to bring any animals? If so, will it be required that such animals have proof of rabies shots or other minimal care?
The goal is that having an animal will not be a barrier to accessing the shelter, regardless of vaccination status. At intake, a safety assessment will take place regarding a guest’s ability to maintain control of their animal at all times.
Will the shelter limit the amount and nature of personal belongings brought by shelter guests?
Shelter guests will be advised to limit the number of personal belongings brought into the shelter. Storage space will be provided outside of the shelter. In order to remove barriers to accessing shelter, someone who has been camping will have space to store their campsite equipment while being a guest at the shelter.
How will failure to abide by any limitations be handled?
Rule violations will be addressed immediately. Guests may be asked to leave the shelter. Guests may also be prohibited from returning to the shelter.
How will this “temporary shelter” not create a more permanent and growing problem? Once the winter dates are past, what happens to the temporarily housed? Will they be transitioned back to their families, or will they be back to living unsheltered?
The goal of this shelter is to save lives. Shelters also provide an opportunity to work with people who are unhoused and help them consider their futures and connect to essential community services. Shelter guests will be referred to service coordinators who can assist with housing plans. Some guests may be able to secure housing by the time the shelter closes for the season. Other guests may return to the outdoors, either camping or living in their vehicles. Housing ends homelessness, so the goal is to help shelter guests obtain housing.
What if any services/resources will be coordinated between this proposed new shelter and the UV Haven?
The City will contract with the Upper Valley Haven to operate the shelter.
What agencies will the Upper Valley Haven partner with or make referrals to?
Lebanon Police Department, Lebanon Fire Department, Lebanon Human Services, LISTEN Community Services, Tri-County CAP, WISE, West Central Behavioral Health, Headrest, Good Neighbor Health Clinic, Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, etc.
What efforts will be made to avoid problematic behavior on the Mascoma River Greenway (MRG) which runs directly behind the shelter?
Residents will have access to the shelter via the MRG. Shelter guests will be discouraged from loitering on the MRG. A smoking area will be established on site for shelter guests.
What efforts will be made to increase pedestrian safety on Mechanic Street?
Shelter guests will be encouraged to use Advance Transit or the MRG to get to and from the shelter. Shelter guests who wish to visit Jake’s Market and Deli, Laundry @195, etc. will be advised to use extreme caution when trying to cross Mechanic Street.
How many staff/volunteers will be working at the shelter? What qualifications will be required (RN? EMT? Mental health training?) Will sufficient staff be secured to handle both day and night shifts BEFORE opening the shelter? Will these be salaried employees, otherwise compensated part-time workers, or uncompensated volunteers?
There will be two paid and awake shelter staff working at all times. A part-time program supervisor will also be on site as needed. Shelter staff will be trained in advance of opening the shelter. Volunteers will be used to supplement the work of paid staff, such as helping with meal prep and cleanup, visiting with shelter guests, etc
What is the budget for this seasonal shelter? What would be the total costs including staff, further buildout if any (such as for showers, toilets), operating costs (such as food, bedding, heat, trash, cleaning, building repairs (plumbing, electric)? Who will be paying these costs?
The purchase price of the property ($400,000) is an expense the City would have taken on in the future to build the roundabout, so it is not included in the overall shelter budget.
The construction budget to retrofit the building is approximately $175,000.
The operational budget for 4 months is approximately $200,000.
The Department of Public Works will absorb expenses for heat, electricity, trash and snow removal.
The City is working diligently to secure private funding to assist with the overall cost of the shelter. To date, $75,000 has been granted, some for use to offset capital costs with the remaining to offset operational costs.
How do the shelter costs compare to using hotel rooms for temporary emergency shelter?
The New Hampshire Rental Assistance Program was paying $259-279/night plus tax for local hotel rooms. Meals were not included in these rates, and housekeeping services were significantly reduced. The City negotiated a rate of $159/night plus tax for last winter.
In comparison, the emergency winter shelter will cost roughly $208/night for 15 guests for 120 nights [based on an overall budget of $375,000 which includes renovation expenses]. An evening meal and breakfast are included.