Spectrum Youth & Family Services has announced plans to transform a section of a long-vacant building into a shelter for local youth.The nonprofit organization hopes the project will provide vital housing and resources to young people in the area facing homelessness.The new shelter will be located at 135 Lake Street in St. Albans.Mark Redmond, Executive Director of Spectrum Youth & Family Services, explained the importance of addressing this issue that St. Albans has seen in recent years."We calculate we've probably seen about 30 young people in the last year or two who could have used a place to live," Redmond said.The shelter will offer 10 bedrooms and will be just two blocks from the St. Albans Drop-in Center, providing easy access to essential daytime services.Stefanie Comstock, Director of Spectrum Youth & Family Services' St. Albans Drop-in Center, expressed her excitement for the project."I've been wanting to replicate on a smaller scale what they have with Spectrum in Burlington, the shelter, housing, the drop-in center," Comstock said.Redmond says the goal of the shelter extends beyond providing a bed.It aims to equip young people with the tools they need for their futures."We want to provide a place for those young people to live, help them find a job, go back to school, start a bank account," Redmond said.While the project remains in the early stages of review, Spectrum is hopeful that the new shelter will be open by February.

Spectrum Youth & Family Services has announced plans to transform a section of a long-vacant building into a shelter for local youth.

The nonprofit organization hopes the project will provide vital housing and resources to young people in the area facing homelessness.

The new shelter will be located at 135 Lake Street in St. Albans.

Mark Redmond, Executive Director of Spectrum Youth & Family Services, explained the importance of addressing this issue that St. Albans has seen in recent years.

"We calculate we've probably seen about 30 young people in the last year or two who could have used a place to live," Redmond said.

The shelter will offer 10 bedrooms and will be just two blocks from the St. Albans Drop-in Center, providing easy access to essential daytime services.

Stefanie Comstock, Director of Spectrum Youth & Family Services' St. Albans Drop-in Center, expressed her excitement for the project.

"I've been wanting to replicate on a smaller scale what they have with Spectrum in Burlington, the shelter, housing, the drop-in center," Comstock said.

Redmond says the goal of the shelter extends beyond providing a bed.

It aims to equip young people with the tools they need for their futures.

"We want to provide a place for those young people to live, help them find a job, go back to school, start a bank account," Redmond said.

While the project remains in the early stages of review, Spectrum is hopeful that the new shelter will be open by February.