What is our COVID-19 Vaccination Policy?
MATS is following State and CDC COVID-19 recommendations and requires all guests to be fully vaccinated.
Why is MATS a Transitional Shelter?
A transitional shelter is a place where you can live safely and comfortably until you are ready for a more permanent home. At Monadnock Area Transitional Shelter the initial approval is for 3 months. Guests usually stay about 9 months (on average). We are not an emergency shelter. To stay at MATS, you must apply for an apartment and agree to certain rules. While at MATS, you will be helped to find more permanent housing.
How Can You Apply to MATS?
You can apply to live in MATS housing by:
- Calling directly at 603-924-5033
- Emailing info@matsnh.org
- Asking your town’s Welfare Officer to contact us
Where is the MATS Shelter?
We have 6 fully furnished apartments for families and individuals across 2 safe locations in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire. We do not share the location of the shelter with anyone except guests.
What Does it Cost to Stay at MATS?
Because we pay the mortgage, heat, basic phone and electricity, we consider people our guests while they live in the shelter; they pay only for their food and cell phone. With the support of the Program Manager and mentors from our Board, our guests are given assistance with employment, housing, transportation, childcare, benefits, education and other issues and connect with agencies and community resources where they may find help. Their main goal during their stay at MATS is to be able to afford and move into their own apartment.
What if I Can’t Reach MATS?
Phone calls and emails will be responded to promptly, please leave a message. Calls received over the weekend may not be addressed until the following Monday.
If you are unable to reach MATS, please visit our resources page or contact the NH Homeless Hotline to find out about other shelters statewide:
Call 211 or 1-866-444-4211
For EMERGENCY SHELTER call 211 or 800-444-4211.
MATS is NOT an emergency shelter.
How Was MATS Started?
In 1989 Jim Lenane was Director of Human Services for the Town of Peterborough. During his term of office, he wrote a column for the Peterborough Transcript. In one of his columns he talked about the fact that Peterborough had people experiencing homelessness. Some were passersby sleeping in the pews of the churches, others were members of the community.
At the time, Gary Hauze was the reverend at the Union Congregational Church in Peterborough. He reached out to Jim and suggested that they set up a committee of people from the community to address the homeless situation, so a group of community members and clergy came together to form the first organized group that eventually became MATS.
The initial group consisted of Reverend Gary Hauze of the Union Congregational Church, Reverend Lew Stone of the All Saints Church, Judy Garabrant, Scott McGovern, and Reverend Dan Osgood of Greenfield Covenant Church.
*History compiled by Lisa Rogers