Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
House Human Services urges extension of winter-weather emergency shelter rules through June 30
Summary
The House Human Services Committee recommended that state winter-weather provisions that remove limits on motel rooms and the 80-day cap for emergency shelter remain in effect through June 30 to avoid repeating last year's emergency-response problems and give time to implement a permanent shelter program.
Rep. Teresa Wood, chair of the House Human Services Committee, told the House Appropriations Committee on Jan. 24 that her panel recommends extending Vermont's winter-weather emergency shelter provisions through June 30 to avoid a repeat of last year's ad hoc response.
The nut graf: The recommendation keeps in place winter-weather rules that suspend the 80-day limit and room caps for emergency motel placements while the Legislature and agencies finalize a permanent emergency-shelter program and related budget language. Committee members said the extension is intended to prevent immediate unsheltering while an improved program is developed this spring and summer.
Wood described last year's emergency response as costly and poorly used, saying that hastily created congregate shelters and motel placements required millions and left many people unsheltered. "It was a disaster," Wood said, noting…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
