“Youth land here from many different places and in many different stages in their lives. The hope is that this is a landing place where young adults can set themselves up for a successful and stable future.

“Often young adults come to informational sessions or intakes afraid to engage in or access our Shelter due to the name. Young adults may have pre-determined thoughts and feelings around what the physical space is and create a negative connotation with programming. We are hoping that by changing the name youth can associate more positive thoughts and feelings around our Shelter.”

The renaming came about in part because the program does not operate like many typical emergency shelters, where clients line up in the evening to get a bed and take their belongings in the morning. Instead, residents stay in the same bed for weeks or months as they work with our case managers to decide what is next.

The Landing is a short-term, emergency housing option for homeless teens ages 16-22. Residents share a common living, kitchen, and dining area, and each of four bright bedrooms has two beds.

“When they told me I was going to a shelter, I sobbed. But when I got here, I realized this was home.”

Youth staying with us at The Landing are safe and supported. They get help from case managers to meet their immediate needs and to look toward their future goals, including moving to our transitional housing and, eventually, moving to permanent housing.

The Landing is a great place for our clients to get started. By renaming our emergency shelter “The Landing,” every young person will know they have a place they can land.

Photos by Ned Castle.

Do you or does someone you know need housing? Fill out the Spectrum Housing Referral Form and return form via email, fax, mail, or drop-off to:

Alex Ellis, Lead Intake Coordinator
Landing & Transitional Housing
177 Pearl Street
Burlington, VT 05401
Phone: 802 864-7423 x 302
Cell: 802-343-2208
Fax: 802-540-3008
housingreferrals@spectrumvt.org

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