On the Waterfront: Inside ANEW Place - Home Starts Here

Burlington at the waterfront [music] on Lake Champ. Whatever the weather, there's lunch to do on the new waterfront. Welcome to On the Waterfront. I'm your host, Mariah Riggs, and this month I'm excited to have Adam Avery, executive director of A New Place on the show. Welcome, Adam. >> Thank you for having me. >> So, um, be I think to kind of get into this, um, I wanted to ask a new place for people who aren't familiar with it. What exactly is the new place and what do you do? >> Yeah. New place is a 20 bed sober shelter and a transitional housing program. And we've been around since 1982. Wow. >> But back then we were called the Burlington Emergency Shelter. >> Oh, okay. >> And so I had a different name. And back in 1982, we were an overnight emergency shelter, meaning that anybody who was unhoused could come. >> Okay. >> And they could get a bed for the night, a meal, and a a safe place to sleep. >> And in the morning, they they left and recycle again the next evening. Well, in 2014, we shifted the model to be a transitional housing program. >> Oh, okay. >> And so what that means is now when people come to us, they're not with us just for overnight. They're they're there typically between three and six months. >> Wow. >> Yeah. So that becomes their their home. >> That's a really long-term commitment. >> Yeah, it is. But that's that's what we want to provide for them so they can find some stability, >> right? do the things they need to go to to do in places they need to go to move into permanent housing. So that's what makes us the transitional housing program. >> Okay. >> So you know and and it seems like that's a much more holistic approach to like you know getting people back into society. It's not just like an emergency shelter situation. It's really a re you know rehabilitation sort of like program. >> Yeah that's definitely our niche. Although I I will say the the emergency shelter programs are necessary and really important, doing great work. >> Well, as as we know in Burlington, that is incredibly important. >> Yeah. And and we we need more of that. But we're kind of that bridge that gets folks from emergency shelter into permanent housing. >> And so last year, um we had 50 guests stay at our shelter and 22 of them ended up in permanent housing. >> That's fabulous. >> Yeah. And so we're that bridge. And so it's it's the place for people to come >> who um are ready to pursue permanent housing, right? So we providing case management every week. We're setting individualized and personalized goals with them trying to make them what we call renter ready >> so that they can >> You're going to have to tell me what renter ready is because I'm very curious about that terminology because I you know I I I think it's important for people who might not be familiar with how the transitional housing process works. So, somebody, you know, I'm assuming there's an application process or some sort of process for access to the new place. I'm sure you guys are having a lot of need. I'm sure there's a lot of need for the new place. >> Um, but you only have a certain number of beds. So, right, >> I apply for the program, >> you get into the program. So, how does in how does the journey through a new place look for somebody who comes in? >> Everyone comes in differently. We have some folks who just knock on our front door and say, "Hey, I need a place to I need a place." >> And so we explain to them that we're not an overnight emergency shelter, but we we do have a program. And we do do like an interview process. Sometimes we get referrals from other agencies that we partner with in town, other shelters, um other organizations that refer folks to us who would would be a good fit for our program. So yeah, there's an application process. there's usually an interview to see if it'll be a good fit for for the person >> um who who who's applying and then we have a four-phase continuum of care. So once they come into the program, again, it's usually between three and six months that they're with us. >> Okay? >> Until we can get them into permanent housing. >> All right? >> And so the first phase we call a new start. And that's essentially when somebody comes and shows up at the house. >> Okay. [laughter] >> So they're starting new. Yes. A new start. >> Okay. And for for most of our folks, we're working with um folks who are chronically unhoused, which means they've been sleeping rough for a year or longer. >> Okay. >> Right. And so that first a new step phase is just an opportunity for them to catch their breath. >> Yeah. >> Right. Because they've they've been sleeping rough. They've been trying to figure out day by day, hour by hour, just how to survive. >> I'm sure there's a flight, you know, flight panic kind of response there that's just kind of baked in at that point. >> There is. And shelter living is challenging as you can imagine. Like we live in a family, right? We know how challenging that can be. >> So imagine when you're you're in a house with a whole bunch of strangers. >> Yeah. >> Um and so that first phase is about 2 to 3 weeks. We just let people catch their breath. They they get their bed. They get warm meals that are brought each night. They have a place just to land, a place to gather themselves. >> The cortisol kind of comes down, you know, they kind of regroup. >> Yes. >> And find their center again. Yeah. So we call that part a new start. >> Okay. >> And then the second phase of our program we call a new step. >> And this is where our case management comes in. >> Okay. >> So folks who are in our program Y it's required that they meet with a case manager once a week. Okay. >> And what they're doing in that meeting is they're they're talking about individualized personal goals that they have. Maybe it's to get out of debt. Maybe it's to to save money for a first and last month's rent. Maybe it's to get a car. Maybe it's to get better employment. Whatever whatever the case is, we're maybe it's family >> reconnection. >> Yeah. >> And so we're we're working with them every week >> and those are those are their own so they work with the case worker on their own personal individualized goals. >> Yes. Yeah. That's right. >> Oh, that's wonderful. >> So it's kind of like a self-directed so people have their own kind of like they're part of the process. It's not like you're actually just throwing it at them. They become part of their sort of rehabilitation. >> Yeah. The way we say that is >> with and not for. >> Oh, I like Okay. >> We're not gonna do things for you. We're going to do things with you >> and we're going to help you so you can you can accomplish this on your own. >> Yeah. Because you give them the responsibility and the tools to like get to those goals. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, this the second phase. >> Yep. Second phase and new step where the case management comes in. The third phase we call new leaf >> and this is where the guests really do start to turn over a new leaf [clears throat] because they've been with us for a while. Mhm. >> Um they've been doing case management and now they're working toward renter readiness. >> Okay. >> Right. They're they're learning budgeting. >> They're they're they're doing housing navigation and figuring out what can I afford and where would I want to live and what these applications I have to fill out these applications and how does this work and who do I need to talk to? >> Um and so we're providing them some some some tools hopefully that they'll carry with them into their permanent housing. But that's the the >> Yeah, because it's almost like an educational thing. So, as a as they're rehabilitating back into society, they're learning the tools that will hopefully carry them forward. >> Yeah. >> When they reintegrate back into like rent and like the day-to-day life, you know, of being a housed a housed individual. >> Yeah, that's right. And we're and we work with community partners who come in and help us with that. So, like Northfield Savings Bank comes in. They they did Yeah, they did a budgeting class with our guests. >> Oh, I didn't know that. That's so fabulous. >> We have some volunteers from the community coming. I love you, Northfield Savings. I didn't realize [laughter] you were that cool. That's so cool. >> Um, we have volunteers come in and do um cooking classes, safe food handling classes, just things that that that folks can carry with them, life skills into their permanent housing. Yeah. >> Yeah. And so that, you know, that that also leads me to another question. when people are coming into the program, are you finding that basic life skills are lacking that there is, you know, that there are gaps in like sort of their life skills capacity? >> I think it depends on the person who's come in because they all have such unique stories and backgrounds. That being said, again, a lot of the folks we're working with are chronically unhoused and so even if they had those skills, they need to be sharpened, right? They need to be kind of retoled a little bit. Yeah. Or just encouraged that, hey, you know, you've got this >> confidence. >> Yeah. Exactly. >> Confidence. Because I, you know, I mean, something I have a little experience with the unhoused and my experience around that is that when this hap when when something so displacing actually happens to an individual, a lot of the confidence or the ability to assert yourself and like move forward can be lacking >> um because it's so crushing. like the daytoday can be so hard, you know, on the on on the feeling of capacity for the individual. >> For sure. As well as the stigma that comes with being unhoused, right? Where community approaches [clears throat] you in a way of like, oh, this is just a problem we need to get rid of. And so that has an effect. >> And so we want to >> lift them up. Exactly. and and and and give them kind of the support so that they can then move forward with their lives and and and get out of the dis, you know, the situation that they have. >> So, it's great great for our guests to see community supports come in >> to our shelter and offer those because they're rooting for they're caring for them. They're rooting for them. They they like believe in them. And I'm I I'm sure you see a difference too as people go through the program getting these kinds of supports and caring and people investing in them, how their confidence changes over the course of the program >> for sure because it's not transactional, it's relational then. And so the the people who are investing in them, it makes our guests invest back in the community and they're looking for a way to pay that forward. So we love that. >> Oh, that is wonderful. So there's like a cylindrical place with that. Do you do any sort of stuff with alumni? We do. Okay. Yeah, we do. We We just had a barbecue this summer with our alumni and got together. It was great. We celebrate people who just moved into their own housing. >> Oh my gosh. Wonderful. Awesome. >> Yeah. >> And so there is So it's kind of wonderful actually. So there is like this community. The more and more that people get put through the program, the more the community builds. >> Yeah. It grows. >> And it grows, which is which is something that also is self-fulfilling. >> Yeah. And that's why we have that fourth phase of our program. Oh, I didn't get to fourth phase. All right, fourth. >> You already introduced it. We call that a new life. And that's when somebody's moves into permanent housing, their own permanent housing. >> And what makes us unique is we offer up to two years of case management and afterare >> after they're in permanent housing. >> Oh wow. >> And so the relationship doesn't end when they move into permanent housing. >> But I bet you're, you know, like people say recitism or whatever, you know, like going back into like, you know, back in I bet that program keeps people together because they have a check-in point. It's not like they get out and they drop off a ledge and they're all alone again. >> For sure. And and as you mentioned, the recidivism rate in our county is really high. >> Yeah. >> Um basically more than half of folks who are entering homelessness in in Chinton County >> were once housed and going back to homelessness. >> And so that number needs to come down. all the agencies, partners, all the community partners, all the shelters like us over 50%. I think it's 52%. >> That's that's a quite the statistic. >> Yeah. And so we want to bring that number down. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> And you know, the afterare and case management is definitely a piece of that. >> Um beyond that, we want to connect those folks to other community supports, >> right? Because we we don't want to be their sole source of community. We want to create a sense of community around them. >> So the more folks we can connect them with the better supported they're going to be. >> Yeah. No, and that makes sense. And so it's it's it's sort of like, you know, the rings around you throw the you throw the pebble in the pond and there's all the rings. >> And so that's sort of the support system. Um, you know, I wanted to uh so so somebody finds housing, you know, are they meeting with the case worker for those, you know, two years afterwards are, you know, like talking about their job, their employment, their budget, those kinds of things so they can um really be successful in the outside world. Yeah, those are all the conversations that are having. Um, utilities, uh, what do I do if this comes up? [laughter] And, and by the time that our folks have gotten into permanent housing, they they know who their medical supports are. They they know like the places that they can turn to, and we're just just there to remind them, to encourage them, to help them if they get if they get stuck, if they need anything. And I and and and I might be wrong in this, but you also take people who have had um drug issues in the past and that's part of the a new place program for people with problems with drug use. Is that also true? >> Yeah, we are a sober shelter. Okay. >> So, what we ask of folks before they come into our program is to reach 30 days sobriety. >> Okay. >> And last year 70% of folks who came into our program maintain their sobriety, which is amazing. that isn't >> and so sometimes all folks need is a place to land >> um where they have support and community that's all >> shooting for the same goal. >> So they've done the 30 days before they get to you which is really interesting. So it's almost like they've made the effort >> to get to a place where they can actually enter the program in a different place. >> They're ready. >> Yeah. They're ready. >> So there's actually like a preliminary process of preparing for the program. >> Mhm. So during those 30 days, I mean, are they are they on the streets? Do they do they have programs for >> all different stories? Some folks are coming out of, you know, a serenity house or a Valley Vista program and they're coming to us or some some of them come to us, they're sober and they're just looking for a sober environment to live in as they get them get their get their things. >> This can be hard as a homeless person in Burlington. >> For sure. >> Um that can be really tough. >> Um that's incredible. So, and and so how many beds do you have again? >> 20. >> So, 20. >> Y. >> And you guys are located >> 89 North Street, right in the old north end. >> Okay. >> And um so in and and I don't really know much about the facility. >> Mhm. >> So, uh can you give us kind of like a verbal facilities tour of of what a new place is like? >> It's a small house. >> Yeah. Okay. >> On 89 North Street that was converted into a shelter. >> Okay. >> And there's been additions since then. We built a second story I think in the um early 2000s. We're renovating our kitchen right now and two of our bathrooms, but essentially it's a it's a house. And so we have this big kitchen area, we have a living room area, sitting room area, and it's all open floor plan. >> That was great. >> Um so it's like a a big home like Yeah, exactly. And um we have a bunk house, a guy's bunk house on the first floor, which we have 14 beds in. So, you can imagine um coming in on your first night and there's a bunk house with 14 beds >> and people you don't know. >> Yep. >> Yeah. >> Um again, that transition is [clears throat] a hard one. And so, [laughter] >> and I'm sure you have strong personalities and like everybody has to, you know, just like you and friends and family. Yeah. All the time. But that's also part of just being renter ready is like how do you get along with your neighbors? And you have to learn how to kind of >> and compromise. >> Exactly. >> Um and and and actually talk through conflict. >> Yeah. conflict resolution is also a huge a huge part of that. So 14 14 beds in the male bunk room. >> And then upstairs we have three rooms with two beds each for females. >> Oh wow. So the women get lucky. They get they get like >> Yeah. They get a little bit more of a private set. >> Okay. Hey, I'm I'm I'm fine with that. [laughter] >> And that was the addition that we made is we built that. Okay. >> Up there. Yeah. >> Oh, that's wonderful. you know, I mean, I I I so [snorts] >> um so I kind of wanted to uh ask, so you obviously have volunteers who are coming in. Um and how would uh you know, some of the people listening to this um how would somebody volunteer at a new place? >> Well, we're a small staff team. We have four full-time staff members and four part-time staff members to run the whole thing. >> Um so, we need volunteers and and we're fortunate to have a really good deep volunteer base. We have over 120 volunteers. >> Wow. >> Um over a 100 volunteers are part of our meal provider program. So every night they'll cook a meal for our guests and bring it to the house. Sometimes they'll have the meal with them, sometimes they just drop it off. >> But that's a really important part of our program. >> Oh wow. >> Because it it feeds our guests bodies, but it also feeds their souls because every night community members coming and saying, "We're here for you. We're we're your neighbors. We're we we're >> we care. we care. >> I mean, some some of the people I would assume coming into a new place haven't felt like anyone has cared for a while. >> Um, and you know, that compassion that that sense of you're not alone. >> Yeah. >> And that somebody, you know, that you know that that that you are important, that there is there are people there that are standing for you. Food is kind of that great intermitter, too. >> We we say that that the table is the great equalizer, right? says, "No matter who you are, where you are, anything when you sit down, you're admitting, I need food. I need nourishment. So, do you like Yeah, exactly. >> We're [laughter] all human. >> And so, a lot happens with with those 100 plus meal providers that bring that. And then we have folks who volunteer in the evenings. We call those our evening volunteers that come in just to socialize with the guests. They they'll play games with them. They'll hang out with them. Um just socialize with them. On on Thursday nights, we have a a few guys from a local church to come and do a Bible study. So just like evening opportunities for people to come in and just be be around. >> That's so so there actually is these sort of engaging volunteer community um add-ons that enrich the lives and experiences of the people that are that are transitioning in a new place which is so cool. It's a great part of the program. >> Yeah. It it it really like reminds us all that we're neighbors, right? So [laughter] even folks who are in house are in house neighbors and friends. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> And and and it's such a way to kind of give back. I So, if you go to ww.annewplace.org, >> um I'm assuming uh viewers can find information on volunteering. >> Yeah. Yeah, they can. Yep. There's [clears throat] a there's a page on there for volunteering. >> Okay. So, if you're interested in volunteering, go check out the website again, www. a newplacevermont.org, and uh go under volunteers and uh check that out if you really are. I mean, it's a great place to volunteer. Um and it's a wonderful community organization. Um and they need and if you want to make food, this is the place to go. >> Oh, for sure. Yeah. [laughter] >> And um you know, so uh and and so they do food, they do night things. Is is there other things that people volunteer for? >> The thing that I'm most excited about for volunteers is we're launching a new program in October that we're calling the neighborto neighbor program. And what we're going to do is we're going to recruit volunteers from the community to be a good neighbor to our graduates. Um, kind of like when when a >> neighbor like not a mentor, but like like there's a you have a community partner person. >> Yeah. Like if a neighbor moves into your neighborhood, what do you do? You tell them, "Oh, here's where I get my car fixed. You can trust that mechanic. Here's where to see a good sunset. I'm going to introduce you to this neighbor down two houses down." So, we're we're looking at that as like not not being their sole source of community and friendship. We wouldn't call it mentorship for that reason. That's why we're using the neighbor language because um we want them to be connectors. >> Yeah. >> How can we connect our graduates in >> and put them into the fabric of that community. >> Yeah. If we can introduce them to people, places, and opportunities. >> Yeah. Then they can weave themselves into that community and >> they can weave themselves. they they weave themselves into the community and then also they're much less likely to end up homeless again if they have those supports and actually become engaged within a community. >> Yeah. Because that sense of belonging matters. And so like >> housing all by itself doesn't always end homelessness, but housing and community together >> does because you have a place and you have >> a belonging, a people, a place, opportunities to volunteer, to give back, to serve. Right. >> Yeah. And it's all that confidence and that and that and that relationship that makes you feel like you can move forward. >> Um so as far as like employment goes with a new place. Um when somebody comes in, are all the people who come into a new place employed or do you sometimes help people find? >> Most of them are not. >> Okay. >> And we will help them find employment. Some are when they come to us. Um last year out of our 50 guests, we helped 24 of them find employment. >> Wow. >> Um this year I think we've served 27 guests in our shelter. We've housed 13, four more in the next couple weeks, which we're really excited about. Congratulations. Yeah. >> And and um we've helped 12 increase their income. >> So, >> okay. So, >> yeah. So, that's part of our program and and the case management is okay. So, as a personalized goal, how can we help you get to the place? >> It is. sometimes, you know, because I've, you know, this is again me hearing hearsay from other people, but that's sometimes the hardest part of homelessness is you can't it's a vicious cycle because you can't take a shower to get to the job interview and look like presentable for a job interview, which means you can't go and get the job, which will eventually give you money, so you can't get out of homelessness. >> Yeah. And more than that, you need rest and you need an address because nobody's going to hire you without an address. So, we can provide that >> a place to get mail, >> right? >> Yeah. Right. And and and and do you have like a um like a computer option so that they can get online and then do things like job searches. I mean, that's the other thing that I would assume is a huge barrier in homelessness >> is that most everything now is online. >> Yes. We have some great community partners. One of them is the community resource center. They provide a lot of our guests with cell phones. >> Um, which is a huge deal, right? To to to connect to the world, to apply for jobs, to like have >> conver somebody can call you back about a job. >> Yes. >> I mean, because I would think that those are all the hurdles that not having permanent resident >> put in the way of you actually being able to lift yourself out of the current predicament that you're in. >> Yeah. >> I mean I mean again, you know, as an employer, you're just like, "Oh, I should be able to call you back on your cell phone and you know, tell you to come in for an interview. Well, if you can't reach that person, how do you get them back in for that interview? >> Right. >> How many um do you do you I mean, roughly do you know uh when you out of the people you get in, how many don't have jobs? They >> Well, out of the 50 we served last year, zero had jobs when they came to us. >> Oh, wow. Okay. >> Now, some of those um are receiving benefits or they're disabled and they need or they need help applying for that. But we're trying to help all of our guests increase their income so they can afford housing, right? Because housing is not cheap. >> And so, >> as we know, >> Yeah. And it takes a lot of work and a lot of steps to get there. And so, our guests work really hard. From the minute they come to us, they're already working >> really hard >> at getting to the place where they can have their own permanent housing. >> And we're just trying to help them with that. >> Yeah. And to be able to support themselves and get themselves [clears throat] back on their feet so that they can just be productive members of society again. And and and they want that. I mean, I think that's the biggest thing that sometimes people forget is that there is a huge percentage of people within the homeless community who want that, but unfortunately the barriers are so insurmountable that they can't really quite get there. >> And people who've had it. Yeah. >> You know, a lot of us are just one or two paychecks away from losing our housing, right? And so if you hurt throughout your back or you get hurt, like we could end up there, too. And so there's there there's >> and that's important to think about from a societal standpoint. We tend to like to think ourselves, oh, that'll never, you know, that won't happen to me. I'm not, but but it really is true, especially I think now more so than ever. >> Yeah. And if you're not confident in navigating all the resources you have to in order to get, you know, uh, >> disability then and and you know how hard that can be and how complex that is. >> Yes, I very much do. >> And and so there really are all of those different kind of facets and components. Yeah. >> of figuring out housing. One of the things I wish, you know, I I I wish somebody would come in and do a case study on what the new place does >> because I think one of the most one of the best things about a new place is sort of the structure and the um the commitment you have to each individual and the process you have towards bringing that person up, bringing them back into society and setting them on a path that to actual success >> and and and reclaiming in their lives. >> Um, which I think is such an incredible model that the new place kind of exemplifies, >> which I wish there were like 500 of them. [laughter] >> All over the place doing I know, right? I mean, where where's the franchise? We need to start like, you know, a new place >> all [snorts] over the place. Um, so, you know, I I I wanted to also, you know, you know, obviously, I mean, we're in Burlington. You know, it's it's been a it's been a hard few years here. Um, you know, you're working really in the trenches of a lot of what, you know, Burlingtononians are seeing in our community. And I I I I think another important conversation is what are you seeing that gives you hope? >> Um, >> well, as you mentioned, you know, Vermont, I think, is fourth in the nation per capita for people experiencing homelessness. >> Wow. >> Um, which is mind-blowing. >> I I That's true. >> And we were second in the nation the year before that. So now we're fourth. So there's progress. you know that can I that's actually it's sad but that is a celebratory >> and what what really gives me the hope though is the community partnerships agencies and organizations that all collaborate together >> okay >> so once a month we have our what we call our CCHA meetings or Chittening County Homeless Alliance meetings and there are representatives there from agencies organizations that are all working together to get people housed to shelter folks to provide services what is this called I I didn't even know about this. >> The Chiden County Chiden County Homeless Alliance. >> That's f I'm so glad we have one. I didn't know. >> Once a month and then and then bi-weekly all the Burlington shelters get on a Zoom call and we're working together to try to see how can we support one another, who needs what? And so the collaboration is what really gives me hope because we could all silo into our own little different. >> That'd be so unvermont of you [laughter] >> by the way. But yes, >> it's wonderful to collaborate together and partner together and be like, how can we help each other? So, what are the other community organizations like a new place that do similar work in Shannon County? >> Oh gosh, there's a lot. There's CS, which is a huge one, been on forever. There's Champlain Valley of Economic Opportunity. They're massive. Do all kinds of >> positive stuff. They run the community resource center. Um, there's Bridges, there's Elmwood, there's I mean there's there's a number of >> some of these I've never even heard of. So, this is actually illuminating >> number. at at our monthly gathering there. I would guesstimate there's probably between 40 and 50 folks who gather once a month from different partnerships. Howard Center, Pathways, United Way, um so many I'm leaving out some. >> I know. I know. And we apologize to all of you, but this is illuminating for me because I didn't realize how robust >> this whole, you know, this whole kind of like community >> the ecosystem is is is strong and growing and committed. That's what I love. That's what gives me hope. So, you know, I mean, obviously volunteering with a new place. Is there other ways, you know, like people who are watching this can get involved? You know, because I know I hear from people all the time. How do I help? I know there's I know there's a problem. How can I help my community more with this problem, with this need, you know, with these individuals because I have a heart and I care. >> What would you say to those people? >> I think a ton of verters have the desire. They they're eager to help. They just don't know how. Exactly. >> They're like, "Is this is this >> What would you say to them?" >> What I say to people is this. >> Okay, >> here's how you can help. >> Take the time >> to see the person, >> like to really see them. >> Okay, >> because sometimes when we come across someone who's unhoused, um, it's awkward. Like, we we we want to help, but we're not quite sure what the best way is to do it. And so, we just kind of avoid or distance ourselves. But I think there's so much that happens when you just take time to see a person. >> Okay. >> And so someone who's unhoused, just just see them. That's a great contribution. >> I I love that. I think that's a good So So that's a great way to end, Adam. Thank you so much. If you see somebody who's unhoused >> or you see people on the street, I mean, that is one small way to like look at somebody and acknowledge the holistic person. >> Yeah. and not just walk by and ignore the human being. >> Love it. >> That's a that's a great way to end that. Adam, thank you so much for coming on the program this month. It's been it's been a delight to have you and um I will see you guys uh right back here next month.