Burlington Pods Become Permanent Fixture in Old North End

The Elmwood Community Shelter, known as the Burlington pods, will continue operating as a permanent homeless shelter after a successful three-year pilot program.

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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The Elmwood Community Shelter, better known as the Burlington pods, is no longer a temporary project. Managers announced Wednesday night that the tiny homes will be permanent after a successful three-year pilot program. The shelter, run by Champlain Housing Trust and CVOEO, provides 25 single-occupancy pods and 5 double pods as a low-barrier temporary shelter to transition homeless people into permanent housing.

Why it matters

The Burlington pods have become a focal point for the homelessness crisis in Ward 3, with the neighborhood divided on the impact of the shelter. While some residents are excited the pods provide much-needed shelter, others have raised concerns about increased crime and activity in the area. The decision to make the pods permanent highlights the ongoing challenges of addressing homelessness in the community.

The details

Since opening, the Burlington pods have served 149 guests, with 99 leaving without finding permanent housing. Only 19 people have moved into stable accommodation, with the average length of stay being 250 days. Organizers say the goal is to transition guests into permanent housing, but the lack of affordable options in the area has made that difficult.

  • The Burlington pods opened as a temporary shelter three years ago, in 2023.
  • On Wednesday, March 6, 2026, managers announced the pods will become a permanent fixture in the Old North End neighborhood.

The players

Zachary Cummings

Member of the Ward 3 Steering Committee, which represents the neighborhood surrounding the Burlington pods.

Sarah Russell

Director of Emergency Services at CVOEO, one of the organizations running the Burlington pods.

Taylor Thibault

Runs the Burlington pods for the Champlain Housing Trust, the other organization operating the shelter.

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What they’re saying

“Ward 3 is becoming the face of the Vermont homeless crisis, and a lot of our neighbors in Ward 3 do understand the support, help, and aid that is being offered to the homeless population. It is just the variables of accountability and transparency is where I start to see my neighbors, housed or unhoused, become divided.”

— Zachary Cummings, Member of the Ward 3 Steering Committee (921wvtk.com)

“The goal of a shelter, an actual shelter, is to keep people sheltered until they move into permanent housing, so we measure success based on how long people can stay.”

— Sarah Russell, Director of Emergency Services at CVOEO (921wvtk.com)

“These folks aren't the ones who have barriers. It's our system that has barriers.”

— Sarah Russell, Director of Emergency Services at CVOEO (921wvtk.com)

What’s next

The Burlington City Council will review the long-term plans for the Elmwood Community Shelter and its impact on the surrounding neighborhood at their next meeting on April 15, 2026.

The takeaway

The decision to make the Burlington pods a permanent fixture highlights the ongoing challenges of addressing homelessness in the community. While the shelter has provided much-needed temporary housing, the lack of affordable permanent housing options in the area has made it difficult to successfully transition guests into stable living situations. The neighborhood's mixed reactions to the shelter's presence underscore the need for continued dialogue and community-based solutions to this complex issue.