St. Johnsbury Plan to Double Homeless Shelter Beds, Create Family Shelter Space

In a significant development for the Northeast Kingdom, efforts are underway to double the capacity of homeless shelters in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. The initiative, led by the nonprofit developer Rural Edge, plans to transform a former Moose Lodge into a 40-bed, low-barrier shelter. This project comes in collaboration with Northeast Kingdom Community Action, which will operate the site. The partnership between these organizations has previously enabled the establishment of the region’s only year-round, general-occupancy homeless shelter, which was swiftly converted from an old church into 20 emergency beds following a change in state zoning laws.

The new shelter at the Moose Lodge location will allow for the transition of individuals from the existing shelter on Moose River Drive, with plans to repurpose the old building into a dedicated family shelter. This is a crucial development, as there are currently no dedicated family shelters in the Northeast Kingdom. Jenna O’Farrell, executive director of Northeast Kingdom Community Action, emphasized the growing need for emergency shelter in the region, noting that expanding the shelter will enhance support systems to help individuals transition to stable, permanent housing.

The need for such shelters has become more pressing following state cutbacks to the pandemic-era motel voucher program, which has increased demand for shelter options. Patrick Shattuck, executive director of Rural Edge, highlighted that the Moose River Drive shelter receives about 10 referrals weekly and maintains a waitlist of 10 to 15 people. The decision to acquire the Moose Lodge, a large, single-story building, was driven by the impracticality of expanding the existing shelter due to ongoing occupancy.

With plans to finalize the acquisition of the Moose Lodge by the end of the year, the aim is to open the new shelter before the 2027-2028 winter season. The renovated space will feature semi-private individual areas for guests. As of May 2026, over 100 households in Caledonia and Essex counties were experiencing homelessness, according to Coordinated Entry data. A 2023 regional housing study revealed that more than 2,100 households in the Northeast Kingdom were on waiting lists for subsidized rental housing, underscoring the critical need for expanded shelter options.

The financial aspect of this initiative includes a $460,000 purchase for the new building, with preliminary renovation estimates for both the existing and new shelters totaling about $4 million. Earlier this summer, Rural Edge received a significant funding boost to support these efforts. This initiative reflects a commitment to addressing housing insecurity and providing care for vulnerable neighbors, resonating with the biblical call to care for those in need, as seen in Matthew 25:35, which emphasizes welcoming the stranger and caring for the least among us.

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