Housing

Municipalities ‘overwhelmed by Vermont’s homelessness crisis’

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The Fairbanks Inn in St. Johnsbury and many other motels statewide has been a recipient of ‘homeless hotel’ state and federal funding in recent years. But now the money has run out.

By Mike Bielawski

A publicly funded program to house homeless people in hotel rooms is winding down because the limited COVID-era money that it relied on is running out. Now both local towns and state government are saying that they are tapped out as far as new resources for the homeless.

“We stand together representing a group of local governments who are overwhelmed by Vermont’s homelessness crisis. We need immediate and decisive action from all three branches of State government – executive, legislative, and judicial,” said Montpelier City Manager Bill Fraser, quoted in a letter signed by 14 Vermont town mayors or managers.

The letter sounds an alarm that municipalities are not in a financial position to deal with more homeless. Already the number of homeless over the past four years has increased from 1,100 to 3,458, according to Fraser.

Fraser is further quoted talking about how exasperated current resources are. He said, “Our first responders cannot keep up with the calls, our residents are reluctant to use public spaces, our limited staff are left cleaning up unsanitary messes, volunteers are exhausted, and our non-profit partners are at a break point.”

The town and city leaders make several requests for changes in state policies regarding transitional and recovery housing, mental health and addiction services, as well as new taxes on hotel rooms, short-term rentals, and other revenue proposals to pay for new services.

The governor has been outspoken about the challenges that his office faces, including on the inability of lawmakers to make it easier to build homes. Scott wrote on X on Aug. 30, “I worked with legislators of all parties to propose reforms and incentives to make it faster and less expensive to revitalize existing stock and build new homes where needed. Unfortunately, it didn’t pass and the problem is only getting worse.”

Supporters want more public funding

Proponents of the hotel-voucher program are crying foul that it is coming to an end, and they want more public money.

“What happened yesterday in Vermont to people experiencing homelessness is nowhere close to a humane treatment of our neighbors,” said Executive Director of End Homelessness Vermont Brenda Siegel. “I saw babies and school children being sent to live in the woods and on our streets.”

She further writes, “Our municipalities need support to address this crisis in a humane way. We can not criminalize people for a housing crisis and un-sheltering that they did not create. Our community members need to meet those who are suffering with empathy and understanding or this crisis will never get better.”

Siegel and other advocates will hold a press conference on the State House steps Wednesday, September 25 at 11:30 AM. Speakers will include Shelby Lebarron, GA Emergency Housing Task Force Member; Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, City of Burlington; Frank Knaack, Housing and Homeless Alliance of Vermont (HHAV); and Julie Bond, Good Samaritan Haven.

The Washington Post detailed in a report last year how temporary federal funds were allocated to states including Vermont to address increases in homelessness while the economy was largely shut down during COVID-19. The Green Mountain State gets special mention in the story.

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Categories: Housing

27 replies »

  2. It’s not economically feasible to house thousands of homeless. Just isn’t. The nanny state wants to give homeless people housing, food, utilities and spending money. Many homeless are mentally ill, drug users, can’t keep a job or won’t keep a job. The proliferation of homeless camps across the country is testimony to the increase in the use of drugs by Americans.

  3. This is a great topic of concern to be discussing. Vermont leaders during COVID spent millions – closer to a billion on homeless concerns in Vermont. You do the math 1.5-3K homeless Vermonters at $150/day, add to that funds spent to help them transition to and from sites, feeding programs and suboxone treatment programs… since 2020.

    It is truly sad that this wasn’t done in a fashion that bought facilities. A renter is always a renter, while a homeowner has some asset values to their name.

    Community Supported Shelters https://www.communitysupportedshelters.org/ in Eugene, Oregon has setting where Conestoga units that cost about 2K to build for a simple basic structure. (They are similar to the pods in Burlington.) There are 3 community blocks filled with these units, one for Veterans, one for those with disabilities, and one for those trying to get free of addictions. They have support services visiting these sites daily. There is also a Dignity Village, https://dignityvillage.org/, an encampment, nearby with a 20+ year history with a self-governance structure that has many of these units.

    A Conestoga Unit was built in Vermont for a homeless man and has withstood 4 Vermont winters without needing modifications for our colder climate. I was in it on a -20 degree day and it was 68 inside and cost only $50/mo to heat.

  4. Bloomberg April 2024: California Spent $24 Billion on Homelessness and It Can’t Measure the Impact: State auditor questions the effectiveness of spending programs

    Who was responsible for implementing these “programs”? NGO’s and non-profits. Now the homelessness in California is tenfold after $24 Billion.

    Mirror images from the West coast to the East coast. The excessive budget busting spending, empty platitudes, virtue signaling, 24/7 laundry services = the exact same results. Affordable housing = hogs at the trough. Similar to climate change = how is your electric utility bill looking these days after all the solar fields and wind turbines?

  5. According to HUD Vermont has the SECOND HIGHEST homeless population per capita in the nation. They surely are not coming here for the climate, it is for all the handouts provided by the commie liberal lawmakers on our dime!

  6. The Governor launched a worldwide advertising campaign to pay people $10k, to move to Vermont, when we were already short housing.

    We have been spending $60,000 per year per hotel room in rent, that is abject insanity. If Trump had the government paying for homeless people in his hotels there would be a huge uproar. We’re being robbed blind. In the 4 years, we could have bought a house for debt free living for $240k.

    We have 10 million new people to house in this country, who didn’t even come legally, and they don’t think this has an affect?

    We as a nation are squandering money almost as bad as Montpelier.

    Montpelier builds “affordable housing” at higher costs than luxury slope side condominium projects for the wealthy.

    We are insane with spending all the “free money”, that taxpayer teat has dried up.

    We have a very generous government assistance program, anyone can march into our state and enjoy the benefits.

    You can get rental assistance in Chittenden County if you make $42k per year.

    Montpelier insanity.

    Sanity over Socialism. S.O.S.

  7. So recently we were told of the struggles to house 1100 homeless in Vermont. We were also told we’ll need 25,000 new homes in the next couple of years.

    Huh, is this Montpelier math?

    So, if you divide 10 million and prorate by Vermont’s percentage of the United States population, you get approximately 18,300 people Vermont would have to house if they took “their share” of illegal immigrants.

    Sugarbush is dead set on getting “work force housing” for 200 people in our little mad river valley. This is for people on work visa’s from south America to work at the resort.

    I’ve been in real estate since 1987, the only two affordable homes built in our area are 2 habitat for humanity homes in Warren. So, they’ll get housing for 200 people to live in our town, but God forbid we have 20-40 homes for local people. Nope.

    So, they not only refuse to allow modest housing in the area, but they also give all the jobs to people that live in another country, take the money with them, and go home.

    Vermonters are dead last in the equation.
    Vermonters are first in line to pay the bill.

    Are you feeling the love? Not so much around here.

    • According to the article there are roughly 3,500 or so homeless staying in hotels at $80/day. Assuming there are 2 per room that means we are paying for 1,750 rooms per night at $80 for a total of $140,000 PER DAY

    • Neil, have you considered the inability of the ski areas to hire locals or for that matter US citizens willing to relocate to work? Is this requested housing just for internationals or is it available for any worker in need of housing?

    • HI Lester,

      I have considered their situation. I’ve been to the affordable housing meetings. I’ve been to the planning sessions. I’ve been with people who’ve applied for permits to build homes.

      Maybe if the company can hire cheap labor and have them all rent a cubicle they can essentially keep 40% of their pay too, to pay for their real estate holdings?

      We operated for 50 years without migrant labor.

      We build all sorts of luxury homes, no problems with that.
      We have all the land and septic capacity.
      We have the epicenter of more creative architects than anywhere on the planet.

      We can build bike paths, bike bridges, pocket parks, vast expensive forest land, commercial land for soccer fields, medical center, fire departments, roads, wider roads for bikes, all sorts of projects, but alas.

      The only people to do ANY affordable housing is Habitat for Humanity at 2 homes over 40 years.

      No, it’s complete B.S. The zoning is the cook book for what your town can make for dinner. Our town, our state is interested in 2 things, luxury housing, big ski area projects, and state/friends of state owned/operated rental properties all subsidized by the tax payer.

      I’ve been considering it all my professional career. I find Vermont lacking in many ways.

  8. Hard to imagine that Vermont is second in the nation regarding per capita homelessness given the rather harsh winters?
    Not providing hotels at the taxpayer’s expense would certainly change that dynamic.

  9. They had to put a cap on per night expense to $170 per night, why? Because they were spending more than that per night.

    Here’s an article

    In housing program, motels named their price. What did Vermont’s most vulnerable get in exchange? – VTDigger

    Do we know the true cost, probably not. Do they know the true cost, definitely not.

    Funny all came about during covid. All came about with a new president letting in 10 million people with no homes to put them in within 3 years.

    People are out placed in other states, move to Vermont. Hell, our gov offered people $10k per person to move here. Insanity. Mr. fiscally responsible.

  11. “We stand together representing a group of local governments who are overwhelmed by Vermont’s homelessness crisis. We need immediate and decisive action from all three branches of State government – executive, legislative, and judicial,” said Montpelier City Manager Bill Fraser, quoted in a letter signed by 14 Vermont town mayors or managers.

    WELL DUH!! Keep inviting everybody to you’re sanctuary state, town and cities!! Where THEY (NOTICE I USED THE GENDER NUETUARL DESCRIPTION THERE!!) needn’t have to worry about working or money, it will all be handed to you.

    Proponents of the hotel-voucher program are crying foul that it is coming to an end, and they want more public money.

    IT’S NOT PUBLIC MONEY ITS TAXPAYER MONEY, ITS NOT AN ENDLESS POT OF MONEY!!!!! AND NOTHING ID PUBLICLY FUNDED IT TAXPAYER FUNDED!!!!

    You know it’s not fair how Vermont has failed to offer the graciousness of our sanctuary state to the Gov, of Texas or the Haitian refugee organizations. to send us at least 75 – 100,000 thousand people, I mean even Springfield Ohio got 20,000, I bet Montpelier would love to do there part, lets not forget to give Rutland at least 20,000 but Burlington got get at least 30-40,000

  12. So the real question again is….Is it bad enough yet? Are people getting it? I’m not hopeful…..

  13. When you open Pandora’s Box with your ” Sanctuary City ” status, well this is what you get, pure chaos from progressive nonsense and you elected these inept fools.

    Wake up people, and vote the clowns out, those who supported this nonsense for your city’s Sanctuary status…………….. outstanding !!

    They don’t care about you as a tax-paying citizen, but hand out everything that’s needed for Illegals on your dime, and this is what you get.

  15. Democrats are too stupid to realize that if you leave food out in your yard for the one bear you see, guess what happens??

    MORE BEARS SHOW UP!!!

  16. I guess the gravy train is over
    Advocates should take them into their homes
    Not pawn them off on overburdened taxpayers

  18. Brenda Siegel needs to understand that a large percentage of our free spirit population came to Vermont during covid simply because of the free motel rooms, provided simply on an honor-system claim of “having nowhere else to go”.
    Those folks who came to dip their beaks are not “our neighbors”. Vermont already was suffering from a serious housing shortage. It is the ideology that once a new social program or level of provision has been established, even in response to a special situation such as the pandemic, that it can NEVER be rescinded or reduced.

  19. See what happens when the addicted are coddled? They are now hanging around with their hand out because “addiction is a disease” in this state. Theyve used up all we had to give, now they want more. We need to stop treating Vermont like a socialist state.

  20. The homeless went from 1,100 to 3,458 because they knew they could come here from out of state and get lots of freebies. Just ask them – they will tell you! Look at all the out of state plates in the homeless hotels. When this program first started it should have been for VT residents only, there were no checks & balances in place and no long term plan to do something with these people other than suck the taxpayers dry. Build it & they will come. End it & they will leave. Pretty simple. I’m all for helping those that need a little help but this program was the biggest waste of money. But hey – the hotel owners are making bank. Most of the hotels in Rutland now need to be condemned and there is nowhere for the legit visitors that contribute to our economy to stay. Great job VT …… not!

    • A benefit given out based on the honor system…you can’t prove you are homeless, so you can’t really demand proof.