House Human Services reviews revised H.91 to create statewide homeless assistance program

The House Human Services Committee reviewed draft 4.1 of H.91 on the Vermont Homeless Emergency Assistance and Responsible Transition to Housing program, discussing definitions, who will operate the program, and how local systems such as coordinated entry and 2-1-1 would be used as part of implementation.

Committee staffer Katie McDonough, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Council, told members they were looking at “draft 4.1” and summarized recent edits, including renaming a referenced survey to the “Vermont 2024 point in time count,” changing a definition labeled “precariously housed” to “at risk of homelessness,” and adding a standalone subsection for services for households affected by domestic violence. Katie McDonough also noted edits intended to avoid duplicating current local systems and to reflect feedback received from shelter providers and domestic violence advocates.

Committee members said those edits aim to clarify how the bill would function. The committee chair said this was a final-stage review and that sections marked off during this meeting would not be re-opened, signaling the committee’s intent to move the draft toward a formal implementation plan.

The draft would establish a new chapter (referred to in the meeting as the program or VHEARTH) within state statute and direct the Department (referred to in the bill text as the department that administers human services) to have statewide responsibility for meeting the chapter’s intent. The bill as revised names Community Action Agencies (CAAs) as the entities that “shall” operate the program to the extent funds exist; members and staff debated language to ensure the program both uses and does not duplicate existing local systems. Committee discussion produced this working description: the program is established in…