Lawmakers hear testimony on youth homelessness; providers urge more housing and supports

BURLINGTON — Testimony to the House Committee on General & Housing on April 28 highlighted persistent gaps in services for young people experiencing homelessness and called for targeted investment in housing, case management and prevention.

Representative Kate Logan, who represents the Chittenden‑16 District and serves as director of the Vermont Coalition of Runaway and Homeless Youth, told the committee that federal funding for youth services has been flat while needs have grown. "Youth homelessness is not inevitable," she said, arguing that "with targeted coordinated investment, Vermont can ensure that every young person has a place to live and a path forward." Logan described a statewide coordinated response that includes outreach, transitional housing, rapid rehousing and long‑term stabilization services but said coverage is uneven across the state.

Why it matters: Witnesses said current resources reach only a fraction of young people who are homeless or unstably housed. Panelists described long wait lists, a reduction in youth‑specific providers since before 2022, and geographic gaps in services outside Chittenden, the Northeast Kingdom and Washington and Windham counties.

Local providers described what works and what is missing. Favor Ellis, executive director of Elevate Youth Services, outlined local programs including a five‑unit "return house" for youth aging out of DCF custody and two HOP‑funded houses on the former Goddard campus that together serve about 16 people ages 18–24. He said agencies provide master leases, rental assistance and case management and that rapid rehousing programs can pay rent directly to landlords while expecting youth to contribute about 30 percent of their income.

A young witness, Riley Compo, described moving between temporary housing, living in cars and relying on hotel vouchers before obtaining an apartment through housing navigation; he urged continued funding for hotel programs, shelters and low‑income housing. "These programs make a real difference and can be the bridge between homelessness and stability," he said.

Christina Brown, chief program officer at Spectrum Youth and Family Services, told the committee that Spectrum serves more than 1,300 youth annually and operates drop‑in centers and emergency shelter beds in several counties. She said a high share of shelter users in Burlington are 18 and that youth coming from out of state accounted for roughly 30 percent of some shelter populations. "We must center the lived experiences of young people, listen to youth who have experienced homelessness and invest resources in services that are developmentally aligned with their needs," Brown said.

Regional providers reinforced that housing alone is only the start: Heather Getty of NCFF (Northwestern Council on New Support Services) recounted helping a single mother move into a two‑bedroom apartment April 1 and said stable housing created the conditions for education and employment progress. A written letter from Star Barton, a housing navigator in the Northeast Kingdom, urged continued investment in the youth homelessness demonstration program and rapid rehousing supports.

Committee members pressed providers on eligibility rules, especially how "aging out" of DCF custody affects service access, and on gaps in permanent supportive housing for transition‑age youth. Providers said return‑house placements often require DCF custody or a referral and noted that coordinated entry prioritization can leave youth at the bottom for certain long‑term supportive slots. Providers also cited data limits: McKinney‑Vento school records indicate unaccompanied youth counts have doubled in the last five years to roughly 125 per year statewide, while about 450 people aged 18–24 appear in the coordinated entry system annually — figures providers said undercount the true need.

Next steps: Committee members invited site visits to local programs and discussed small statutory or budget tweaks that could expand master‑lease or transitional housing capacity. No formal motions or votes occurred during the testimony; the committee scheduled more witnesses and follow‑up for a later meeting.

Ending note: Providers urged the committee to pair housing investments with youth‑centered case management and prevention services to reduce long‑term instability and improve educational and employment outcomes.