Elizabeth Bridgewater and Libby Bennett — executive director of the Windham-Windsor Housing Trust, and executive director of Groundworks Collaborative, respectively — issued this joint statement on March 4 about the transition of programming at Great River Terrace, a complex intended to provide permanent supportive housing on Putney Road in Brattleboro.
BRATTLEBORO-We are sharing an important transition in programming at Great River Terrace — one shaped by deep reflection, shared learning, and an ongoing commitment to resident stability.
When our organizations — Windham & Windsor Housing Trust and Groundworks — first came together to launch Great River Terrace in 2018, we shared a bold and deeply hopeful vision: to create a permanent supportive housing (PSH) community where individuals could find stability, dignity, and a foundation for long-term well-being.
We were inspired by what was possible when housing and services are thoughtfully integrated, and we were honored to partner in bringing that vision to life. That vision remains meaningful to us today.
Since opening, this work has been shaped by dedication, collaboration, and ongoing learning.
Together, we have gained a clearer understanding of the conditions required for a permanent supportive housing model to succeed over the long term. We have learned that this model depends on a level of sustained, robust services and financial stability, both for the service partner and for the property owners.
Unfortunately, the current funding model at Great River Terrace does not provide this stability.
As a result, Windham & Windsor Housing Trust has made the difficult but necessary decision to transition the property, over time, to a general occupancy property. As part of this transition, Groundworks has identified Friday, March 27, as the day that onsite services will conclude at Great River Terrace.
* * *
These difficult decisions reflect stark structural realities — including the absence of a comprehensive funding model capable of supporting the full continuum of care that many individuals need to thrive in permanent housing.
We remain deeply proud of our original vision, and the successes we have witnessed and nurtured. For many residents, housing paired with support has led to meaningful and lasting positive change. Those outcomes affirm the core belief that guided this partnership: that with the right resources, people’s lives can and do change.
As this transition unfolds, our focus is on our residents — their stability, their well-being, and their future. We are committed to transparent communication, individualized support, and thoughtful planning.
Services will continue to be available to individuals, and both organizations will work closely with residents and community partners to support next steps and maintain continuity wherever possible.
* * *
We also want to reaffirm our enduring commitment to people exiting homelessness. This commitment continues across our broader housing and service systems, and it will continue to guide how we respond to community needs moving forward. While the structure of support may evolve, our dedication remains steadfast.
This decision has been made with great care, reflection, and respect for everyone involved. We are profoundly grateful to the staff, partners, and community members who have invested their time, expertise, and compassion in this work. Their efforts — and the courage and resilience of residents — have shaped an experience that will continue to inform and strengthen what comes next.
What we have learned will help us move toward new approaches that are both compassionate and sustainable. We know this transition will bring questions, and we remain committed to honesty, openness, and care as we move forward together.
This Voices Viewpoint was submitted to The Commons.
This piece, published in print in the Voices section or as a column in the news sections, represents the opinion of the writer. In the newspaper and on this website, we strive to ensure that opinions are based on fair expression of established fact. In the spirit of transparency and accountability, The Commons is reviewing and developing more precise policies about editing of opinions and our role and our responsibility and standards in fact-checking our own work and the contributions to the newspaper. In the meantime, we heartily encourage civil and productive responses at voices@commonsnews.org.