Vermont Senate Committee Hears Conflicting Testimony on H.91 Shelter‑funding Overhaul

At a Senate Health & Welfare Committee hearing, shelter providers, community action agencies and homeless‑system advocates offered sharply different views on House Bill 91 (H.91), which would shift administration of Vermont’s General Assistance (GA) emergency motel program and potentially change oversight of the Home Outreach Program (HOP).

Supporters and opponents agreed on the scale of need but differed on whether H.91’s proposed regional model would improve services. Libby Bennett, executive director of Groundworks Collaborative, told the committee the state’s Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) provides critical oversight and technical assistance and “this part of the system is not broken and should not be dismantled.”

Why it matters: Witnesses said H.91 would affect funding flows and program oversight for people experiencing homelessness across Vermont. Testimony included several specific funding requests and timeline proposals that committee members said they will use as they revise the bill.

What providers said Libby Bennett (Groundworks Collaborative) described her organization’s operations in Brattleboro, saying it “offers food, shelter, and supportive housing services for over 5,500 people each year” and operates a 40‑bed year‑round shelter and daytime drop‑in center. She said Groundworks served 871 people through its shelter and housing programs last year and that its outreach team engaged more than 270…