Update: The shelter organizers say they plan to open on the evening of Jan. 21, after securing temporary approval to operate using the town's insurance. Read more here.
A group of residents in Littleton has been working for months to open what would be the town’s only emergency winter shelter. They’ve raised money, hired staff and secured space in a local church building.
But their plans are on hold — because, they say, they haven’t been able to get an insurance policy that matches their vision of a low-barrier shelter that doesn’t turn anyone away.
“Every day when it's 10 degrees out, I look outside and I think about how we really need to be open,” said Veronika Travis, the rector at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Littleton and chair of the planned shelter’s board. “We need to be open so people can get in there.”
Travis said Littleton, like other New Hampshire communities, is grappling with a rise in homelessness, with some people sleeping in cars or tents.
She and others involved in the effort said Littleton doesn’t currently have an emergency shelter. There are shelters in some other communities in the region, but they have entry requirements that can keep some people away, like background checks or sobriety rules, said Chloe Duff, director of the planned Littleton shelter.
“If people are outside, if they have addiction problems, then they're potentially using,” she said. “And if you're using, you're not able to sense that you're in danger from the cold. So really, being able to open this resource would be a means of harm reduction.”
The shelter was supposed to open Monday. But Travis and Duff said getting an insurance policy has taken longer than expected. They said insurers have told them they need to either require background checks or operate a single-sex shelter — which would leave at least three or four women they know of out in the cold.
“Having a low-barrier shelter is important simply because it's a need that people have — a human need to be warm,” Travis said.
Duff said the shelter will have trained staff supervising throughout the night, and has policies for addressing medical emergencies and other issues.
Local public safety officials say they’ve seen unsheltered homelessness spike since the pandemic. Littleton Police Chief Paul Smith said there are likely around 12 people living in tents in the community right now, and he’s concerned about their welfare — especially with subzero temperatures forecast for next week.
Smith said he’s worked with shelter organizers and supports their efforts.
“We’re welcoming it,” he said. “It’s an overnight warming shelter. The community has not had one.”
Organizers say they're still trying to hammer out the insurance issues. They would like to open the Littleton Winter Shelter next week, before the severe cold sets in. But they’re not yet sure if it’ll be possible.