Witnesses tell General & Housing committee housing instability is driving Vermonters with disabilities into homelessness

Summary

Disability advocates, tenant‑help staff and providers told the Committee on General and Housing that rising rents, scarce housing stock and shrinking supports have left people with disabilities and those with intellectual and developmental disabilities at heightened risk of homelessness; witnesses urged targeted investments and durable oversight.

MONTPELIER — Testimony at the Committee on General and Housing on Jan. 29 emphasized that housing instability is a public‑health and civil‑rights crisis for Vermonters with disabilities.

Lindsay Sainsmore, executive director of Disability Rights Vermont, told the committee that housing is “at the very foundation of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs” and that state systems are producing disproportionate harm for people with disabilities. Sainsmore said her office is the state’s Protection and Advocacy agency and the mental‑health ombudsman and described a small staff of about 10. She cited data saying homelessness in Vermont has increased more than 300% since the pandemic, leaving roughly 4,500 people, including more than 1,000 children, without stable housing as of June 2025, and said about half of those individuals report a serious mental‑health condition.

The witnesses urged the committee to prioritize permanency and supports over short‑term shelter.…

Witnesses tell General & Housing committee housing instability is driving Vermonters with disabilities into homelessness

Summary

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