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Vermont DPS briefs Senate committee on rental‑housing complaints, flood recovery and staffing
Summary
Department of Public Safety leaders told the Senate Government Operations Committee on Jan. 14 that rental‑housing safety and disaster recovery remain top priorities, noting nearly 900 rental‑housing complaints since Jan. 2024 and ongoing work to speed federal disaster funds to towns after recent floods.
The Department of Public Safety told the Senate Government Operations Committee on Jan. 14 that rental‑housing safety, emergency management and communications capacity are among its top priorities for 2026.
Commissioner Jennifer Morrison opened the briefing and introduced division leaders. "My name is Jennifer Morrison. I'm the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety," she said. Director Michael DeRocher (fire safety) told senators the division oversees licensing, the fire academy, hazardous‑materials response and an urban search and rescue team, and said rental housing safety is a major focus.
"Since 01/01/2024, we have received about close to 900 rental housing complaints," DeRocher said, adding the rental housing health and safety program is complaint‑driven and has generated roughly 1,500 inspections tied to those complaints. He said legislation authorizes…
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