Senate moves forward on VHEARTH plan to restructure emergency shelter system and fund services

The Vermont Senate on the morning calendar advanced H.91, creating the Vermont Housing Emergency Assistance Responsive Transition to Housing program (VHEARTH), and voted to propose to the House amendments recommended by the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare.

The bill, described in committee as a statewide restructuring of emergency housing and services, would replace the current General Assistance (GA) emergency housing model and aim to reduce reliance on hotel and motel placements while expanding coordinated shelter, case management and pathways to permanent housing. The Senate roll-call vote to propose the committee’s amendments was 17 in favor and 13 opposed; the body also ordered a third reading.

Senator John Lyons, reporting for the Committee on Health and Welfare, said the measure “restructures the general assistance program and provides coordination of programs that help those who are homeless or at risk of being homeless and reduce dependence on our critically inefficient hotel motel program.” He described the legislation as a multi-year plan to build regional capacity through community action agencies, a statewide organization for…