A temporary emergency shelter in Burlington reopened Friday evening, according to the office of Mayor Miro Weinberger.
After closing down four emergency shelters Friday morning, the state reopened one of them, at 108 Cherry St., around 8:30 that evening. The emergency shelter was scheduled to remain open Saturday and Sunday from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., according to Weinberger spokesperson Samantha Sheehan, though it was unclear what would happen after that.
Weinberger had called on the state this week to keep the Burlington shelter open. On Thursday night, nearly 40 people stayed at the Cherry Street location.
Last week, Gov. Phil Scott’s administration scrambled to open the four shelters as hundreds of people lost their eligibility for state-subsidized rooms through Vermont’s motel housing program. As of March 15, people who received a voucher through the program’s winter-weather eligibility guidelines needed to prove they had a qualifying vulnerability to hang onto their rooms for a few more months.
With at least a foot of snow expected in Burlington and elsewhere in Vermont this weekend, Weinberger’s office urged those in need of shelter in the area to the Cherry Street location or call 211 for assistance.