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Providers warn Vermont lacks shelter capacity as Senate reviews H.938 funding plan
Summary
Witnesses and agency staff told the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on May 7 that H.938’s coordination goals are sound but implementation must match regional capacity; the committee reviewed a funding spreadsheet that lists roughly $39.3 million for the Housing Opportunity Program and related line items, and providers urged against centralized case management and rigid shelter tiers.
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee on May 7 heard lengthy testimony on H.938, a bill intended to coordinate Vermont’s homelessness response and expand housing and shelter capacity. Providers told lawmakers the proposal’s goals are necessary but that sequencing, funding and program design must match on‑the‑ground capacity.
Paul Braggon, executive director of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, told the committee that Vermont’s homelessness problem has grown dramatically over the past decade and that successful implementation will require aligning statutory expectations with actual regional shelter capacity, rental assistance, emergency beds, and staffing. “The scale of need in Vermont has…
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