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.