Vermont Business Magazine In a powerful move to support the most vulnerable residents of Burlington, the Hoehl Family Foundation (HFF) has pledged a $200,000 challenge grant to support COTS in its capital campaign for a new Waystation homeless shelter. This generous commitment will not only directly fund the shelter’s renovation, but also aims to inspire the community to join in by matching the grant dollar-for-dollar, ultimately raising $400,000 to bring a state-of-the-art shelter to life.
The HFF’s challenge grant is structured in two parts: an immediate donation of $100,000 and a second $100,000 once COTS has raised an additional $200,000. This generous support marks a turning point in COTS’s mission to provide a more dignified, trauma-informed space for adults facing homelessness in Chittenden County.
Katharine Kostin, HFF Board Member, expressed the Foundation’s deep commitment to the community: “It’s not charity, it’s solidarity. We believe we’re only as strong as our most vulnerable neighbors; therefore, we’re privileged to work with the community toward supporting the dignity of every person.”
A Bold Step Forward for the Community
COTS has long recognized the pressing need for a new Waystation to serve adults experiencing homelessness. For over 40 years, the Waystation has been a lifeline for many, but the aging facility no longer meets the needs of those it serves. The new location at 58 Pearl Street, a 7,361-square-foot property acquired by COTS in January 2025, offers roughly three times the space of the current shelter. This increase in capacity will allow COTS to expand its shelter services by 55%, providing up to 56 adults with safe, supportive shelter year-round.
The transformation of the Pearl Street building into a modern, trauma-informed shelter will have a profound impact on the community. Not only will it provide essential services like connection to community resources and housing navigation, but it will also offer guests the privacy, safety, and dignity they need to begin their journey toward permanent housing. The new shelter will feature:
- A warming kitchen to improve food access
- 14 bedrooms, each with space for up to 4 guests
- 6 private bathrooms with showers
- On-site laundry facilities
- A staff office, break space, and common areas
- A private meeting room for medical and support services
- Full ADA access throughout
The renovation, in partnership with Duncan*Wisniewski Architects and JA Morrissey Construction, will ensure that the shelter meets the highest standards of care, providing a supportive environment for individuals to rebuild their lives.
Community Impact: Meeting the Moment
The need for this new facility has never been greater. Over the past year, COTS has seen shelter spaces consistently filled, and significant barriers to housing have left many adults without safe places to stay. The 2024 fiscal year saw a staggering 286% increase in visitors to COTS’s Daystation program, which provides daytime services to individuals experiencing homelessness. Many of these visitors—especially those from marginalized communities including LGBTQIA+ individuals, asylum seekers, and people with mental health challenges—are sleeping outside or in other precarious conditions.
COTS’s new Waystation will meet this growing need by providing a welcoming, accessible, and secure space for up to 56 adults who are currently without shelter. Guests will also have access to critical housing navigation services, helping them take the first steps toward stable, permanent housing.
Jonathan Farrell, Executive Director of COTS, expressed his gratitude and excitement for the project: “The Hoehl Family Foundation’s generous challenge grant is a game-changer for this campaign and for the individuals we serve. This project will not only provide more shelter, but it will create a space designed with the understanding that safety, privacy, and dignity are fundamental to the process of moving out of homelessness. We are deeply grateful to the Hoehl Family Foundation and our community for rallying around this important cause.”
A Community Rallying Together
The Campaign for a New Waystation has already raised significant funds, including $500,000 from the State of Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity and $600,000 from anonymous donors. The Hoehl Family Foundation’s $200,000 challenge grant brings the campaign closer to its $2 million renovation goal.
Once completed, the new Waystation will open in December 2025, creating a transformative resource for Burlington’s most vulnerable populations. In 2026, COTS plans to convert its existing Waystation into permanent affordable housing, further expanding its impact in the community.
How You Can Help
The new Waystation is an urgent and necessary project. As community needs grow and barriers to housing increase, COTS’s vision for the new shelter will address immediate shelter needs while laying the foundation for long-term housing stability.
COTS is actively seeking additional donations to meet its renovation goal. Every dollar donated will help COTS provide safe, dignified shelter and housing navigation services to individuals in need, and thanks to the generous challenge from the Hoehl Family Foundation, every dollar donated will be matched.
cotsonline.org/waystation-
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