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House Human Services Committee refines H.91 draft, stresses CoC integration, case management and implementation flexibility
Summary
Committee members continued drafting H.91 (End Homelessness Vermont) and emphasized using existing Continuum of Care planning, centering case management, preserving provider flexibility on shelter contracts, and avoiding overly prescriptive statutory language for participant obligations.
The House Human Services Committee continued work on H.91, the End Homelessness Vermont framework, during an afternoon meeting focused on integrating existing Continuum of Care planning, clarifying case management roles, and preserving flexibility for providers on using hotels or vouchers as temporary shelter.
Committee members said the bill should explicitly use the collaborative planning processes already run by Continuums of Care (CoCs) and rely on existing HUD application work rather than create parallel state requirements. House Human Services Committee chair said, "we are picking up our continued work on H91," and urged drafting that leans on local processes that feed federal grant applications.
The committee and invited commenters discussed several recurring implementation concerns: whether the statute should require or merely prioritize eligibility rules versus leaving prioritization to providers; how to define participation expectations tied to case management; whether the bill should authorize state contracts with hotels or leave those arrangements to local contractors; and how to structure appeals and an independent ombudsman role.
Members recommended explicitly referencing CoCs in planning language. One committee member said the CoCs "already have to do this process," and urged that the draft should direct state planning to utilize CoC needs assessments so regions do not duplicate work. Chittenden County was discussed as an example of local prioritization that feeds federal grant applications.
On temporary hotel use and vouchers, members said flexibility is important but disagreed on putting contract details into statute. One participant noted past state reluctance to contract directly with hotels after an $80-per-day cap on hotel-stay spending; the committee discussed leaving contractual details to local agreements while keeping a statutory requirement that sites meet public accommodation standards.
Case management and participant expectations were central to the debate. Eric (stakeholder) described a model in which a person entering a coordinated entry or data system is referred to a designated CAP (community action program) agency for placement and develops a client-centered supportive housing plan with a case manager. He said that model makes appeals more meaningful because participation expectations are documented in a plan.
Committee members stressed a balance between Housing First principles and program integrity. One member summarized that Housing First emphasizes getting housing first and offering services, but asked how that principle applies in emergency interim shelter if a person refuses services and remains in a hotel room while others need access.
Members generally agreed to avoid crafting highly prescriptive day-to-day rules in statute. Instead, they directed drafters to capture high-level intent—case management as a core element that can be offered at varying intensities, use of existing coordinated entry/CoC processes, and protections such as public-accommodation standards—leaving detailed operational rules, compliance mechanisms and the specifics of appeals to implementation planning.
Other items discussed included an ombudsman role for people experiencing homelessness, minimum standards and rights for shelter, housing-retention supports, and planning for extreme weather events. Members noted implementation must weigh what is appropriate for statute versus what should be developed by practitioners during implementation.
The chair set near-term drafting deadlines: staff were asked to produce updated language by Monday for some items and the goal remains to have a final draft for the committee by Wednesday with a target of circulating the draft publicly by Thursday. Committee members said they would continue to refine language over the weekend and into next week.
The meeting contained no formal votes on H.91 provisions during the session; members instead gave drafting directions and requested follow-up materials and wording adjustments.
