On February 17th, 1983, the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, then called the UniLu Shelter, opened its doors as the first homeless shelter in Harvard Square. In response to the much increased street population, four students from Harvard Divinity School and Harvard College, with the support of University Lutheran Church's Pastor Fred Reisz, other Harvard Square ministers, and volunteers from the congregation, provided simple meals and sleeping space for about a dozen men and women in University Lutheran's basement. Run by Harvard undergraduates, the Shelter is the only student-run shelter in the nation and the only shelter in the Boston area operated entirely by volunteers.
Although originally envisioned as an emergency response to a temporary situation, the long-term problem of homelessness remains unsolved and the doors to Harvard Square Homeless Shelter (HSHS) remain open. Every winter, HSHS has provided food, housing, and warmth for more than twenty homeless adults each night during the five coldest months of the year.
Although the shelter is located in the basement of the University Lutheran Church and benefits from the generosity of its congregation, its programs and services are all non-religious. Major renovations in 1999 transformed the basement into a spacious, well lit, and comfortable living area that is handicap accessible. The area is sectioned off into a large eating area with individual tables, a large kitchen and serving area, two spaces for relaxation, tv watching, and computer use, a separate room for laundry facilities, a men’s sleeping area curtained off from the main area, an entirely separate women’s room for sleeping, and a men’s and women’s restroom, each with two showers.