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Sen. Martine Lerat Gulick leads committee briefing on H.938 to create Vermont homelessness continuum
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Summary
Senate committee members received a high-level walkthrough of H.938, a bill to create a five-level Vermont Homelessness and Response Continuum that ranges from prevention/diversion through permanent supportive housing and, as a last resort, negotiated hotel/motel placements; members raised questions about funding, operational details and safeguards for participants.
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 eligible households' disabilities.
Members pressed for clarity on the bill's scope. One committee member asked whether H.938 focuses on short-term emergency shelter or on longer-term housing solutions; counsel answered that the bill covers a range of services across a continuum, from prevention and diversion up to permanent supportive housing. "I think it's a range of services to sort of meet a particular household wherever they are," the counsel said.
The bill separates shelter services into highly structured programs and low-barrier shelters, requires participation in case management "to the extent of the household's ability," and allows specialized shelters for people with medical, mental-health or substance-use needs. For permanent supportive housing, counsel said AHS may provide or contract for long-term rental assistance paired with voluntary, flexible supportive services, noting some supports could be funded or co-funded by Medicaid.
Counsel also explained measures meant to reduce reliance on hotel and motel placements while permitting their use when necessary. The draft sets negotiated agreements for blocks of rooms and requires the department to propose hotel/motel rates as part of the annual budget. It also caps nightly utilization at 700 rooms from April 1–Nov. 30 and 1,000 rooms from Dec. 1–Mar. 31, with placements for survivors of domestic violence exempt from those caps.
Members repeatedly raised operational concerns. Sen. Gulick said Vermont lacks the physical housing stock and personnel (caseworkers) needed to deliver the bill's intended outcomes, arguing that without additional resources households could "fall through the cracks." Counsel acknowledged those concerns, noted the bill is not intended to replace federal funds and said the office should maximize federal receipts where applicable. Counsel also said program rules would be adopted by rule and that definitions such as disability were negotiated with the administration and modeled on ADA language.
The draft includes verification and enforcement provisions: disability may be verified by a licensed health-care provider, a determination by a recognized agency, or by self-attestation subject to state verification within 30 days; households that knowingly provide materially false information may be terminated within 30 days after notice and may be referred for investigation. The bill also defines misconduct (behavior that endangers others, destroys property, or involves illegal activity) and allows removing an individual from a household's placement where necessary for safety while permitting the rest of the household to remain.
The committee ran short of time and agreed to resume consideration at a later meeting. No formal vote or amendment occurred during this briefing.
The briefing raised recurring questions members said require follow-up: how the continuum will align with existing federal programs and local providers, whether funding and staff will be provided to implement new services, how program rules will balance safety and due process, and how the state will ensure sufficient physical housing stock to meet placements.
