Evernorth Investment Helps Bring New Hope’s House Shelter to Brattleboro

New 40-bed facility increases Brattleboro's shelter capacity by 33% and expands access to supportive services

[BRATTLEBORO, VT] - Evernorth is helping expand shelter capacity in southern Vermont through its $7 million investment in Hope's House, a new 8,000-square-foot shelter developed by Groundworks Collaborative in Brattleboro, Vermont. The purpose-built facility includes 40 beds, a 33% increase over previous shelter capacity, as well as kitchen facilities, personal storage, meeting space, and dedicated areas for case management and supportive services.

Groundworks staff estimates 65 to 80 households in southern Windham County are unsheltered on any given night, while nearly 300 households are currently engaged in services to help them navigate housing crises. These challenges highlight the importance of local solutions that provide both immediate safety and pathways to long-term housing.

Hope's House represents more than shelter: it serves as a stabilizing environment where residents benefit from a continuum of care through individualized support, programming, and opportunities that prepare them for accessing permanent housing.

"Hope's House has been thoughtfully designed and intentionally programmed around dignity, safety, accountability, and hope," said Libby Bennett, Executive Director of Groundworks Collaborative. "For Groundworks, shelter has always been about much more than providing a bed. Our work begins before someone enters shelter and continues as we work alongside each person to identify barriers, establish goals, connect with services, and build greater stability. Hope's House is one important step within that larger pathway."

Evernorth's role as a project partner demonstrates its commitment to contributing expertise and financial resources to create vital affordable housing and community projects for rural Northern New England communities. Evernorth provided real estate consulting expertise during the project's planning and development phases; the Evernorth Loan Fund provided a $300,000 bridge loan as Groundworks completed a predevelopment capital campaign; and Evernorth Rural Ventures invested $6.7 million in New Markets Tax Credit allocation to the project, which brought $1.9 million in capital from US Bancorp Impact Finance.

"Evernorth is committed to addressing affordability gaps in the housing landscape. We do this in multiple ways, including raising capital, targeting investment, developing properties, and sharing expertise. In this case we were fortunate to partner with Groundworks, a true community leader, and provide funding as well as consulting to support this vital new resource." said Kathy Beyer, Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development at Evernorth. "This is a great example of how organizations and even teams within Evernorth can come together to enhance quality of life and support economic growth in a rural town."

Hope's House was made possible through significant public, institutional, and philanthropic investment, including critical partnership and support from Evernorth, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board along with the generosity of individuals, foundations, businesses, and community members.

"Groundworks is a leader in addressing housing insecurity, and this investment will help restore and expand its full range of support, allowing more individuals and families to safely move from crisis to stability," said Beth Boutin, Vice President of Community Investments at Evernorth. "Evernorth is proud to be a partner, providing financing through New Markets Tax Credits and the Evernorth Loan Fund, along with consulting expertise during the project's planning and development, to help expand shelter capacity and critical services for those who need them most."

Groundworks Collaborative expects to welcome its first residents to Hope's House in early October 2026.

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Evernorth is a nonprofit organization serving the low- and moderate-income people of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont with affordable housing and community investments. Evernorth has raised and deployed over $1.6 billion in equity capital for affordable housing and built more than 17,000 affordable homes and apartments for low- and moderate-income people across northern New England. www.evernorthus.org

Evernorth Rural Ventures, a subsidiary of Evernorth, is a qualified rural Community Development Entity that uses its New Markets Tax Credit resources to support investment in the economic, environmental, and social well-being of northern New England communities and its regional economies. Funds are used to retain and create quality jobs and expand essential goods and services by financing key community developments in downtown and village centers and in other concerted community efforts that demonstrate positive impacts to low-income persons and communities. Learn more about Evernorth Rural Ventures at www.evernorthus.org/financing-and-investing/evernorth-rural-ventures.