Senate committee advances H.91 to shift emergency housing services to regional agencies

The Senate Appropriations Committee voted to report H.91 favorably on May 20 after committee members heard how the bill would transition Vermont’s emergency housing programs into a regionally coordinated model administered by community action agencies.

The bill, introduced and explained by Senator Lyons, would establish a program in statute called the Vermont Homeless Emergency Assistance and Responsiveness Transition to Housing program (referred to in discussion as “v hearth” or similar variants) and move administration of the General Assistance emergency housing functions into five regional community action agencies beginning in fiscal year 2027, with Housing Opportunity Program (HOP) funding and duties intended to be phased into the program in fiscal year 2028. "This bill actually, begins the process of better coordination, for homeless identification and more permanent homes," Senator Lyons said during the presentation.

Katie McLennan of the Office of Legislative Council told the committee the bill is 34 pages and provides the structure and timeline for the transition. Under the proposal, community action agencies in five regions would assume responsibility for administering emergency housing services, supportive services, emergency shelters and extreme weather shelters; an entity experienced in serving households experiencing domestic and sexual violence would continue to provide services for that population. McLennan described required planning steps, regional needs assessments, two…