Dear Friends,

We chose this theme for the 2018 annual report because we recognize that having a stable home opens the door for deeper human connections and greater community participation, two important ingredients for health and wellbeing. This dynamic is emerging at Great River Terrace, a neighborhood comprised mostly of formerly homeless individuals, where the energy once used to figure out where to sleep at night is now available to nurture the relationships that break apart loneliness and isolation.

Our belief in the power of connection and belonging is reflected in the initial supportive services strategy at Great River Terrace’s which has been focused on building community and resident engagement. The Resident Council meets monthly and group programs such as budgeting, creative writing and recovery support circles convene in the shared great room. Residents also meet one-on-one with staff to receive support in

establishing goals and developing a path forward.

It’s been amazing to see how quickly friendships have formed and trust has developed between staff and residents. People are becoming more resilient as a result of these connections and the impact is already being felt in many of the resident’s lives. Some have obtained employment. Others have begun to address significant health issues. None have been evicted. Some residents, like Melvin Harris, have become involved in town-wide issues through civic engagement.

Community Matters. This theme is not unique to Great River Terrace and with the stories that follow we explore the various ways that having a stable home allows people to nurture their relationships, volunteer to help others and engage in community issues. Anne Chapman, who moved back to her hometown of Putney, deepened her family relationships and established new connections throughout town. Stephanie Seeley now

Melvin Harris’s apartment is clean and cozy with artwork attentively hung throughout the living room and bedroom. It is warm and inviting; a place that looks neat but clearly lived in.

Melvin has been living at Great River Terrace (GRT) since Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT) completed the renovations in July of 2018. The apartments, located in Brattleboro at the site of the former Lamplighter Inn, is one of Vermont’s first permanent supportive housing programs.

“I thought someone was playing a trick on me,” Melvin said when asked how he felt when he first walked into his apartment. “I didn’t think it was real.”

Only six months later Melvin has become a natural leader within the GRT Community and throughout Brattleboro. Melvin sits on the tenant council at GRT to help the community with any issues that come up between residents or with the property itself. He is also active with a core group of homeless and formerly homeless individuals. This group works with the Brattleboro Select Board to brainstorm innovative ways of helping those who are still struggling to find permanent housing in the Brattleboro area.

Melvin’s focus and passion for community advocacy couldn’t shine through during some of the more difficult times in his life. He grew up in Alabama in an unstable house. Both his parents battled addiction and he struggled to find his way. “I didn’t care about my life too much”, he said. “I’d pretty much given up.” Melvin turned to drugs and alcohol to cope, quickly found himself estranged from his wife and children, and out on the streets.

Unable to see his children because he didn’t have a place to live, Melvin put all his efforts into getting into GRT. He found out about the apartments through Groundworks Collaborative, who partnered with WWHT and Healthcare and Rehabilitation Services (HCRS) on the project. His family feared that it wouldn’t happen, but Melvin persevered. “I told my wife that this was all I got,” Melvin explained. “I’m putting everything in this basket.”

Now, Melvin can contribute to creating a vibrant community at GRT because he no longer worries about where he can lay his head at night. He is sober and sees his family regularly. He spends most of his mornings playing cribbage with John, a GRT resident who is homebound, and plans weekly meals with his neighbors. He said he also feels a sense of responsibility to Emma Stewart, the WWHT Housing Support Coordinator. “She cares and you know it”, Melvin said sincerely. “And it makes you want to do better.”

Melvin still has to pinch himself to make sure it’s all real. He keeps three empty picture frames on his shelf. “Those are there to remind me that it’s still all so new,” Melvin explained. “When I put some pictures in those frames, then I’ll be home.”

Stephanie Seely was always an active person until she was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy in 2014, a condition that causes numbness and pain in her hands and feet. Stephanie said her illness was preventing her from doing some of the activities she always enjoyed, like taking long walks outside. “I was stagnating and I knew I needed the exercise,” Stephanie confessed. “But I could barely get out of a chair.” Stephanie knew she needed to find a way to be active within the confines of her disease.

On a recommendation from one of her neighbors in Windsor Village, Stephanie became an active participant in the Services and Support at Home (SASH) program, working with coordinator Denise Dupuis and nurse, Rita Rice. Through the program, she began attending a class called “Bone Builders”, a low-impact, sitting, routine that uses strength training exercises to help build bone health.

Stephanie began to get some of her strength back and excelled at the class. She decided to become a certified instructor of the “Bone Builders” class and now Stephanie teaches the class every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to her neighbors in Windsor Village.

Stephanie credits the SASH program with helping her manage her illness and the impairments that go along with it. She sees Rita every month for a blood pressure test and also works with a case manager who helps her reduce her risk of falling, which is common for people with peripheral neuropathy.

Stephanie explained that because of SASH she feels more independent in her own apartment than she would if she were living in an assisted living environment. “I can stay in all day if I want to and yet I can walk out and have all kinds of contact with people here,” Stephanie commented. “I spend a lot of time with my neighbor who is on oxygen and very limited in her movement. We play dice three or four times a week.”

Living independently has allowed Stephanie to care for her cat “Scheherezade”, a rescue animal who was abused. She also volunteers as a bingo caller on Thursdays and Saturdays and is an active member of the Bow Baptist Church in Springfield, VT along with her daughter. They attend church together every week.

“I love my mountains,” Stephanie shared referring to her home state of Vermont. “And after moving around a lot as an army brat”, Stephanie grinned and said “It’s nice to be settled.”

Once they felt settled into their home, the Hessels had more energy to give to neighborhood efforts. Greg serves as the President of the WWHT board and Ariel volunteers for the Brattleboro Swim Team board and previously volunteered at the free medical clinic in town. Nico and Tucker play sports for both school and town leagues. Spending less money on their monthly mortgage payment allowed Greg and Ariel to spend more at local shops and businesses in town.

If the Hessels decide to sell their home, they will keep only a portion of the property’s appreciated value. The remaining profit stays with the house, keeping the price affordable for the next buyer, so that the value stays in the community. “There’s a lot of public discussion about housing as an investment in your own personal finances or an investment in the community”, Greg explained. “When land prices go up it’s not because we did anything to make that happen. It doesn’t seem right that we should benefit from it.”

A 2017 research report put out by the Urban Institute stated that the average credit score increased over two years for shared equity purchasers and that they used less credit overall than groups that purchased conventional mortgage loans. These facts indicate that programs like shared equity can help keep local economies stable by creating financial security for individuals and long-term stability for future generations.

For twenty years the Hessels have experienced good times and hard times in their home. They have celebrated birthdays and holidays, grieved the loss of loved ones, cried, laughed, and grown together. They have stability, which has allowed them to put their energy into enriching their lives and the community around them. “I love living in a place where I can walk down the street and run into someone I know”, Greg said thoughtfully. “That’s why we chose to live in this community.”

Building in a downtown space can have some unique challenges from traffic control to space issues and all on a tight timeline because people want to see the end result as quickly as possible!

When it came to building on Flat Street in Brattleboro, WWHT chose ReArch Company to get the job done. ReArch Company, based out of South Burlington, Vermont, has a long-track record of keeping a project on track and on time, while offering creative solutions to unique problems.

A mobile crane and material moving equipment navigate throughout the small space, offering the flexibility needed for construction. 

Any traffic issues are communicated to the public through a variety of media including the local newspaper. And ReArch project superintendent, Steve Rowe, along with assistant superintendent Andrew MacKechnie, set up offices in a vacant space directly next door to the project site to easily deal with any issues in real time.

“We are very fortunate to have some wonderful neighbors on both sides of busy Flat Street. Communication is key.  We make every attempt to minimize disruptions to both vehicle and foot traffic at all time,” Rowe explained. “It’s an exciting project to that the community is excited as well, to see its progression.”