Everyone Deserves a Home
Shelter is a fundamental need for everyone in our community. As an organization, Rural Vermont believes that communities and governments have the ability, and responsibility, to ensure that our neighbors’ basic needs are met. Nearly 3,000 people in Vermont, including 500 to 600 children, are in the process of losing their housing right now as the “motel voucher program” ends. Housing advocates have lobbied and organized throughout the legislative session for adequate funding in the State budget to address these essential needs, but the legislature did not do so and passed a budget creating what housing advocate Brenda Siegel described as a predictable and preventable “humanitarian crisis”.
There is still time for our representatives to act, and there are opportunities for you to get involved supporting people on the ground right now.
The Governor has vetoed the budget, sending it back to the legislature. This gives legislators an opportunity to revise the budget and provide the support needed for these members of our communities. Despite strong opposition from leadership in the House and Senate, there are a number of courageous lawmakers who voted against the budget originally because of the lack of an adequate appropriation to continue to house the people reliant on this program - and many of them have suggested their willingness to vote to sustain the Governor’s veto if the budget is not amended or another solution to keeping all Vermonters sheltered is not made. These legislators who are willing to stand up to leadership, and stand for meeting people’s essential needs, need your support. They need to hear from you that their commitment to this is valued, is important, and is worth more than the potential loss of status in the Statehouse that may come from refusing to acquiesce to leadership. And the rest of the legislature and the administration needs to hear from you: that a lack of willingness to invest in the basic needs of people is not acceptable, that all people experiencing homelessness are vulnerable, that we must support people newly entering homelessness, and that we cannot exclude anyone who meets Vermont’s definition of disability or restrict our programs and support to only meet the needs of particular categories of people. Having a safe and secure place to live does not need to be a privilege, and with the percentage of VT’s homeless population increasing - we need to not only take immediate action, but we need to develop a long term plan for meeting the housing needs of the people who live here.
For specific recommendations on how to take action with policymakers (who to contact, thoughts on messaging, etc.) - see this page from End Homelessness Vermont.
People also need on-the-ground support right now. We’ve done our best to compile here resources, opportunities, and information for people who want to get involved in supporting these needs:
1. According to housing advocates, there has been some confusion or misrepresentation related to who remains eligible for motel housing through June 30th. If you are in one of these categories, you continue to be eligible for motel housing through the 30th of June:
SSI/SSDI
Pregnant
A Victim of Domestic Violence (without hoop jumping)
People who have children living with them
People under 18 and over 60.
2. End Homelessness VT is creating a statewide resource guide. If you are providing, or would like to provide, services to people in this community, and would like to be listed in this guide, please contribute your information here.
3. End Homelessness VT is also asking people to sign up to volunteer. Please sign up here to volunteer. If you have any land or space for rent, or to offer to displaced individuals, please let End Homelessness VT know here.