Committee continues markup of H.91, debates goals, appeals and separate domestic-violence shelter program

Committee leaders and stakeholders continued markup of H.91 on multiple pieces of feedback, focusing on three substantive areas: how the bill states the long-term goal for homelessness in Vermont, whether the law must require a legally sufficient appeals process with expedited review, and whether to establish a separate Vermont domestic-violence and sexual-violence shelter and emergency housing program.

The committee chair (name not specified) opened the session by noting the group would review feedback on the current H.91 draft, version 3.1, and said the committee would first address the bill's findings language about unsheltered homelessness. The chair acknowledged public testimony, including a family that later lost a child while temporarily housed in a hotel, and said the committee should recognize those harms while also writing achievable statutory language.

Members discussed two-tiered wording: an aspirational statement that the state aims for homelessness to be "rare, brief, and nonrecurring" and a separate clause describing what the program funded under H.91 is intended to accomplish. Several participants supported keeping an aspirational goal in an "A" finding and a more pragmatic "B" clause that states the program's intended, achievable outcomes.

On appeals, the committee reviewed language suggested by Vermont Legal Aid and others. The chair summarized that the legislation should "set out a legally sufficient appeals process, including the right to a hearing before the Human Services Board," and members discussed adding an expedited review option when a decision could lead to someone becoming homeless. Staff and committee members agreed the bill itself should require a legally sufficient appeal mechanism and that more procedural detail could be developed during implementation, with the implementation group reporting back next year.

The committee then considered a proposal from the Vermont Network and other commenters to create a separate, contracted program for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The proposed text would establish a "Vermont domestic violence and sexual violence shelter and emergency housing program" in the department, fund network organizations to provide victim-centered shelter, motel pool management, case management, and coordinated entry services, and direct the Vermont Network to manage that program under contract with the department. Supporters said survivors' needs and safety considerations already produce a parallel service system and that specific protections and confidentiality concern justify a distinct program within the larger continuum.

Members raised practical questions about how funding and allocations for a dedicated domestic-violence program would be determined and how that program would interact with coordinated entry, regional planning, and the broader system. Some members warned against distancing specialized providers from resources and urged that any separate subprogram remain integrated with statewide and regional planning so allocations reflect overall need. Staff said allocation details would be part of implementation and reporting back to the committee next year.

Committee discussion also revisited an ongoing theme in stakeholder feedback: separating housing provision from case management to limit conflicts of interest and improve trust for people exiting homelessness. Some members and commenters described cases where combining landlord roles with service provision created problems; others noted the federal system changes that already require separating certain functions and the practical difficulties of enforcing separation in small communities. The committee did not adopt binding allocation or structural choices during this session.

No formal motions, votes, or final enactments of H.91 provisions were recorded in the transcript of this meeting. Committee staff said they will compile the implementation recommendations, including appeal-process details and allocation proposals for any specialized domestic-violence program, and return to the committee during the next session.