The Governor’s Executive Order issued Friday afternoon will extend the hotel/motel program for families with children and people with acute medical needs. As of March 24, 1439 households are housed. This executive order will allow approximately 424 households to stay until June 30th. Another approximately 700 households have some of their 80 days of benefit left.
What do all these numbers mean - approximately 315 households will be unhoused starting April 1st with another 700 households exiting over the days and weeks to come. These numbers are people - pregnant women not in their 3rd trimester, those fleeing domestic violence, veterans. This program had been scaled back significantly to house only our most vulnerable, now we are putting many of them on the streets when the administration has the $1.8m to keep them housed through June 30th. This action isn’t just morally wrong but also financially irresponsible. Our unhoused Vermonters will seek shelter and care in emergency rooms driving up hospital costs and local municipalities will be burdened with additional costs - the human consequences will be visible on the streets of Vermont.
We agree with the Governor that the hotel/motel program is not a long-term solution. Our House Human Services Committee this week passed out a bill that begins the shift from motels to a community-based, service-supported housing model—a long-term solution that will truly help Vermonters get back on their feet. Until then we should make the morally right and fiscally sound decision to keep people housed.
I’ve linked below several documents if anyone is interested in reading more.
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