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Committee adds two housing study committees: universal design and housing for people with developmental disabilities
Summary
The committee agreed to keep two separate study efforts in S.127: a Residential Universal Design Standards study and a State Housing and Residential Services Planning Committee to plan housing for individuals with developmental disabilities, including a statutory target of 600 units.
The House Committee on Housing on April 15 decided to keep two separate study committees in current reconciliation of S.127: a Residential Universal Design Standards study (originating in the House bill) and a State Housing and Residential Services Planning Committee (added by the Senate) focused on housing for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Cameron Wood explained the Senate-created planning committee would be charged to produce “an actionable plan to develop housing for individuals with developmental disabilities” and listed specific deliverables: a schedule to create at least 600 additional units, an accounting of support needs (including individuals with 24-hour care needs), anticipated funding needs, and recommendations for statutory or policy changes that impede development or access to Medicaid-funded home and community-based services.
Susan Aronoff of the Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council addressed the committee and recommended substituting Vermont Housing and Community Development (DHCD) — rather than legislative counsel and operations — to staff the committee, and proposed that the Department for Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) provide geographic data to help operationalize the plan. Committee members also emphasized the importance of lived experience on study panels; members noted Green Mountain Self Advocates, Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council and family representatives are listed in the planning committee membership.
Committee members agreed the two studies are materially different in scope and function and opted to keep both, with DHCD providing staffing for the Senate-created planning committee and a request that DAIL provide geographic service-need information. Committee members also discussed compensation language for non-state members and confirmed they wanted to retain House drafting that provided compensation if funded by the budget, while recognizing the Senate had removed similar compensation language pending appropriation decisions.
No formal vote on statutory text occurred during the meeting; committee direction was to preserve both study bodies in the reconciled amendment and to ask legislative counsel to draft substitute staffing and reporting language to reflect agency staffing and the requested DAIL data contribution.
