By Guy Page
As the Legislature’s commitment to end homeless hotel funding July 1 continues to crumble, homeless advocates on Wednesday said they have proof disabled people will be turned out into the street. And at least one municipality wants to solve its homeless problem by busing them somewhere.
When the Legislature adjourned in May, House and Senate leaders agreed with Gov. Phil Scott to stop the pandemic-era $20 million/month housing of about 2,700 people in ‘homeless hotel’ emergency housing.
The Fairbanks Inn in St. Johnsbury is among the dozens of hotels and motels housing people under the pandemic-era Emergency Housing program.
But walking the talk has proven difficult. When homeless hotel funding became the sticking point in Progressive support for overriding Scott’s $8.5 billion budget veto, both sides began to blame the other and curry favor. The administration announced existing programs and funds would allow about 1,100 disabled and head-of-household residents to stay through July, and about half of that number could stay almost through September.
With the special session to override the budget veto set to begin June 20, legislative leaders are working behind the scenes to develop an alternate funding plan to house recipients indefinitely until they and state workers can “identify an alternate stable setting,” Senate President Phil Baruth is quoted saying in VTDigger.
At his press conference last week, Scott said some recipients do have exit plans, but he also expressed skepticism that homes for all recipients could be found.
The Legislature continues to get pressure from homeless hotel advocate Brenda Siegel. At noon today, she announced a 1 PM State House press conference at which she will present evidence that disabled Vermonters will be required to leave their emergency housing.
“Brenda Siegel and Rebecca Duprey have interviewed 77 of the 90 people scheduled to be exited on June 16. They have collected the data about the number who are suffering from mental illness, are in recovery and have physical health conditions as well as those escaping domestic violence. In addition they have gathered information about where the individuals are going from the hotel.
“It has become overtly clear between the June 1 exits and the looming June 16 exits that Vermont is exiting people who meet the definition of having a disability to the street and more.”
Meanwhile, municipalities like Rutland are developing their own plans to cope with homeless people exiting homeless hotel emergency housing. As of June 1, Rutland had 479 enrollees, the most of any community. The Rutland City Emergency Housing Transition Plan includes ‘transportation support’:
- Identify transportation options for individuals who may need assistance in relocating to new housing.
- Coordinate with local transportation providers to secure discounted or subsidized rates for eligible individuals.
- Utilize available funds to provide bus tickets or transportation assistance for those who have a support network or family in another area.
Guy Page is publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle. Reprinted with permission.
I think this whole thing is stupid. I was in a hotel and a year ago when they said it was coming to an end I started finding somewhere to go. We were given plenty of warning that the program ending, so saying a year later that they weren’t given notice, they had a full year to save and find a place to go.
If you build it, they will come.
When COTS turned the old Burlington College into a new homeless shelter decades ago I thought, they are institutionalizing homelessness. And so it is….
They are paying $60,000″per year to house homeless in the most expensive possible shelter that offers the least amount of value for the dollar.
It is a criminal abuse of tax payer money!
Just think, they could buy homes for less than the three years,they paid on rent!
They could have bought $500,000 homes at the start of the pandemic for less monthly expense!
Wonder why your taxes are so high?
VERMONT, here’s your sign.
Housing in hotel rooms? How about barracks? Like used for our enlisted warriors. Heat, food, facilities. Work oriented education. Located near a rail line so they have transportation to jobs giving them the opportunity to break the cycle of homelessness.
I agree for those that seem to just want to be taken care of by the governmnt the work barracks or community farm is a great idea. For those in limbo on housing or between jobs I’m not against hotel rooms with limited stays. It’s not like there’s no opportunity to work anymore we have plenty of companies looking for help.
I second the motion.
Soon enough VT will have to “Pay The Progressive Piper”. The new tagline is that NH is the ‘Live Free Or Die” state….Vermont is now the “Free Stuff State”. Free school meals now, free motels for $20 million a month. Subsidize 70% of the VT homeowners with low property taxes, so someone “else” pays. And the myriad of other “bleeding heart” free things to make people feel better. yet all this costs $8.5 billion for a paltry 640,000 people? It can’t last. First thing I predict is a downgrade by rating agencies of VT debt…which will make it far more expensive to borrow needed dough. The free covid billions are done.. VT pisses that all away now on woke, Gender, EV and climate.. You seriously have to realize, that if you are upper income, do you want to be around VT in a handful of years? All they are going to do is make YOU pay far more in taxes so others get free stuff. Fiscally, it cannot last. And what of the up to $5 billion union retirement benefits….UNFUNDED? It is all insane, and all in front of your eyes, if you just look.