COVID-19 RESPONSE: CHAMPLAIN HOUSING TRUST

The Champlain Housing Trust (CHT) has gone out on a limb to help lead Vermont’s responses to vulnerable populations during the coronavirus crisis.
Among other actions, the CHT successfully:

• Transformed Harbor Place (one of its properties) overnight, when the crisis first hit, to serve as an isolation motel for people that were living in congregate homes, shelters, tent encampments or on the street and were exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 
• Added staffing, support services, meal and medication delivery to fill the immediate need of preventing the spread of the virus in high risk settings.
• Purchased a van to help the Community Health Centers of Burlington increase mobile coronavirus testing capacity in Chittenden County and made that testing available to those with least access to other facilities.
• Helped more than 6,000 residents navigate the financial, health, and emotional uncertainties caused by the pandemic and identified resources that will help stabilize people in their housing.
• Kept tenants from being evicted during this pandemic because of lost income or need to attend to their, or someone else’s, health needs. 

These efforts have come at a tremendous cost, and will result in ongoing financial stress for both the people CHT serves and to the organization itself . 

​Pennywise is proud to support CHT’s immediate and effective response through our Urgent Response Fund. Our thanks to CHT and all of Vermont’s essential service providers.