Sen. Martine Lerat Gulick leads committee briefing on H.938 to create Vermont homelessness continuum

Sen. Martine Lerat Gulick opened a Committee briefing at about 11:20, saying she was filling in for the committee chair and asking branch counsel to provide a high-level walkthrough of H.938, a bill "relating to establishing the Vermont Homelessness and Response Continuum." Counsel described the bill as establishing a statewide program to provide a flexible continuum of prevention, shelter, specialized services and permanent supportive housing and to require individualized housing plans, accountability measures and oversight.

The counsel said the proposed chapter creates a program administered by the Office (OEO) within AHS that is broken into five levels of service, with an emphasis on early intervention, rapid resolution of crises and equitable access to emergency and permanent housing. "It's designed to prevent homelessness whenever possible," the counselor said. Prevention and diversion are described as primary entry points and are to be provided through agreements with regional community partners that must accommodate…