By Guy Page

An organization supporting passage of this year’s Continuum of Care law providing funding and services for the homeless has itself received $200,000 in funding as part of this year’s state budget, signed into law last week by Gov. Phil Scott.

According to a June 19 press release issued by Executive Director Brenda Siegel, End Homelessness Vermont has secured its first-ever state appropriation, receiving $200,000 in the recently enacted FY2027 state budget to support housing and case management services for Vermonters experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.

End Homelessness Vermont urged passage of H.938, the Vermont Homelessness Response Continuum bill, which passed in the Legislature May 21 and was signed into law on June 16. Now Act 143, the law calls for $82 million for the “implementation of the Vermont Response Continuum, shelter development and operation, rental assistance, and supportive services, including case management. “The Legislature eventually allocated $20 million instead, as part of the general fund budget. 

The funding, approved in the annual budget by the Vermont Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Phil Scott, will help the organization continue providing statewide housing navigation, case management, service coordination, technical assistance, appeals assistance and permanent housing support for individuals with disabilities and complex needs, Siegel said. 

“This is a moment of profound recognition, not just for our organization, but for the people we serve,” said Brenda Siegel, executive director of End Homelessness Vermont. “Every single person on our team has lived experience of either homelessness or housing insecurity, and living with a disability.” Siegel has been an outspoken advocate of funding and legislation for Vermont’s homeless. She first came to many Vermnters’ attention in 2021 when she slept in a tent on the State House steps to protest the plight of the homeless, whose numbers spiked dramatically during the Covid crisis that restricted access to traditional shelters.

According to the organization, the $200,000 appropriation represents about one-third of its FY2027 case management funding goal. The budget language specifically recognizes End Homelessness Vermont’s role in providing “essential services to unhoused Vermonters including service navigation and coordination from crisis through housing stability, technical assistance, and concrete supports.”

Founded as a hotline to help people find shelter and services, End Homelessness Vermont has expanded into two divisions: the Office of Housing Advocate and the Office of Research and Advocacy. The organization says it assists thousands of Vermonters each year, helping individuals navigate housing crises and secure permanent housing.

Siegel credited lawmakers and community partners for supporting the funding request, including members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and the House Human Services Committee.