Advocates rally on emergency housing gap
Advocates rallied at the statehouse this week urging immediate legislative action after winter emergency housing protections expired, warning hundreds — especially in Chittenden County and Burlington — now face homelessness. Organizers are pressing for clear eligibility rules, more funding, and wraparound services as the legislature considers next steps. (wamc.org)
The coalition at the Statehouse included the Housing & Homelessness Alliance of Vermont and Vermont Legal Aid, organizations that have led recent statewide advocacy and litigation on emergency housing policy. (helpingtohousevt.org) Lawmakers are considering H.91 — the “Vermont Homeless Emergency Assistance and Responsive Transition to Housing Program” (VHEARTH) — sponsored by Rep. Theresa Wood (Wood of Waterbury) with additional sponsors listed such as Jubilee McGill and Esme Cole. (legislature.vermont.gov) The Department for Children and Families’ General Assistance emergency-housing adverse-weather policy explicitly covered Dec. 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026, and DCF directs callers to the emergency housing line at 1-800-775-0506 for eligibility and placements. (dcf.vermont.gov) Advocates asked the House Appropriations Committee to add a $2.3 million winter-shelter extension in the budget-adjustment process and to fund broader housing priorities, including a $30 million request for the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board and $2.8 million for Developmental Disability housing projects. (citizenportal.ai) A Vermont Human Services Board decision on Aug. 7, 2025 held that the Legislature’s 80-day cap applies only to days received in the current fiscal year, meaning days provided under Executive Order 03-25 (April–June 2025) could not be counted against FY2026 limits. (vtlegalaid.org) House Human Services committee records show members reviewed an expanded H.91 draft on March 12, 2026 and noted a plan to vote the bill out on a compressed timeline. (goldendomevt.com) Previous rollbacks and caps have affected hundreds of households: Newsweek reported roughly 230 households impacted when an 80-day limit was enforced in 2025, and a coalition of more than 30 providers warned nearly 1,000 Vermonters faced shelter loss in late June 2025. (newsweek.com)
