Conference committee debates H.91 changes to homelessness programs, regional councils and $3 million boost for housing capacity

Members of the H.91 conference committee discussed draft changes to the bill that would reinstate findings, direct a transition of emergency housing and the HOP program into “be hearth” with consistent funding beginning in fiscal year 2027, adjust membership of regional advisory councils, increase reimbursement eligibility for regional council members, and include a proposed $3,000,000 transfer to BCF for affordable and supportive housing and shelter capacity.

The committee said it will consider Senate proposal language that reinserted a findings section and added a legislative-intent paragraph stating “the intent of the general assembly that be hearth replaces the provision of emergency housing through the general assistance program and the HOP program beginning in fiscal year 27 using consistent and stable funding.” Committee members discussed wording and expressed caution about producing language the governor would sign.

Members debated membership of the regional advisory councils. The draft moves “statewide homelessness organizations” from an optional (may) listing into a required (shall) slot for regional advisory councils; committee members queried which groups that would include and noted many statewide homeless service groups operate regionally and may not attend every meeting. One committee member suggested adding the local “continuum of care serving as the local housing coalition” to accommodate Chittenden County’s existing structure; the group agreed to add that phrasing to make the statute consistent across counties.

Committee members also discussed reimbursement and meeting frequency for non‑professional regional council participants. The draft increases reimbursable meetings from four annually to eight; there was no objection among the members present to that change.

On shelter operations language, the committee reviewed provisions addressing hotels and motels used as shelter beds and related support services; members noted the text had been shortened and that a longer service‑support phrase previously present in a House draft was removed in the current paragraph.

The draft reworked numeric allocations in subdivision language. According to the draft under review, a Senate figure (reported in the discussion as 5.085) replaces a House figure (reported as 5.15) in one paragraph; committee staff and members discussed restoring the Senate number in that subsection. The committee also reviewed language that removes an earlier reference to “Bridges To Health” and instead adds a separate subdivision specific to “Bridges For Health” that matches the Senate proposal language.

A significant funding item under consideration is a proposed $3,000,000 addition to BCF “to enhance capacity for the creation expansion of permanent affordable housing, emergency shelters, and permanent supportive housing capacity,” with any unspent monies carried forward. Committee members indicated they might present a counterproposal on that $3,000,000 allocation and discussed possible flexibility to remove or adjust it.

One committee member said they have been in contact with the Green Mountain Care Board and that the board’s legislative liaison, identified in the meeting as Representative Lampard, is continuing to work on a related $515,000 item that will not be resolved in time for the present discussion; the committee agreed to step offline to continue that conversation.

No formal motions or votes were recorded in the provided transcript excerpt; the discussion focused on draft language, membership lists, funding amounts, and next steps to reconcile House and Senate proposals.

Next steps noted in the meeting included further offline negotiations among committee members and staff on the $3,000,000 proposal and the $515,000 matter involving the Green Mountain Care Board; committee members also asked staff to incorporate the agreed language adding the local continuum-of-care phrasing and the reimbursement change into the next draft for review.