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Appropriations hears requests to stabilize shelters, maintain emergency rental caseworkers
Summary
House Appropriations Committee heard Human Services Chair Theresa Wood detail requests to convert one‑time shelter funding into base operations, maintain 33 emergency rental assistance caseworker positions and provide a 4% cost‑of‑living increase for community housing providers.
On March 11, 2025, the Vermont House Appropriations Committee continued consideration of the Human Services budget, with Theresa Wood, Chair of the House Human Services Committee, asking members to convert one‑time shelter startup funds to ongoing operations and to protect housing support staff and community providers.
Wood told the committee the governor’s budget proposes a $3,700,000 increase in base funding for the Department for Children and Families’ Office of Economic Opportunity to reflect operations for shelters started in fiscal 2025 with one‑time money, plus $2,000,000 in one‑time funds to expand additional shelter capacity. She said those grants support shelter services, HUD funding flows and the statewide Housing Opportunity Program (HOP), which distributes grants to community organizations for short‑ and longer‑term shelter needs.
The committee also discussed maintaining 33 case‑management positions created during the COVID period under the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). Wood and staff explained the governor’s budget includes roughly $3,750,000 to sustain those 33 positions, which the committee and providers described as essential for preventing homelessness by linking tenants, landlords and housing programs. Committee members asked whether the positions are housed in state agencies; Wood clarified they are employed by community providers, including community action agencies, housing providers and shelters, and that the ARPA funding that initially supported many of the roles is ending.
Committee members pressed for program details and eligibility limits for HOP grants and other housing supports. Wood said eligibility varies by program and that some housing supports target very low incomes, while other HOP services have program‑specific eligibility. Members also discussed the state’s home program, which helps with rental and security deposits and — under the current request — would extend assistance to 36 months and add 50 families to the roughly 92 currently enrolled. Wood said she would confirm which community providers currently administer that program; she referenced the Community Action Program network and CVOEO as administrators in related contexts.
Other Human Services requests described to the committee included a 4% cost‑of‑living increase for community‑based HOP providers, and a micro‑business development FTE for each of five community action agencies. Wood said community action agencies also requested funding for financial‑coaching staff (the request cited about $357,000) and for other multi‑component asks that the committee would reconcile to avoid duplication.
Why it matters: committee members emphasized that maintaining caseworkers and converting shelter startup dollars to base funding preserves capacity that prevents homelessness. Wood warned the loss of federal funding and ARPA support will require state decisions to sustain programs that local providers say are “lifeblood” services.
The committee did not take votes on these items during the hearing. Members asked staff to provide additional program‑level details, eligibility rules and where different funding streams currently flow so the Appropriations Committee can reconcile overlapping requests before budget decisions.
Next steps: Human Services’ budget letter and supporting materials will be folded into the committee’s draft appropriation recommendations as staff verify program administration, eligibility and overlaps with federal funds.
