Today’s News
The 2023 Veto Session opened and closed today and the House and Senate have overridden the Governor’s budget veto and passed a compromise plan to address the ongoing homelessness crisis – with a unanimous vote in the Senate.
The votes to override the budget veto mean that critical investments in permanently affordable housing, supportive services, and nearly full statutory funding for VHCB can come to fruition. (See the budget overview from VAHC’s end-of-session report on Page 3 here.)
An additional bill passed extending the transition period for people currently living in hotels and motels through April 2024. It sets up formal legislative oversight of that transition and of Agency of Human Services’ support for those households, and also gives the Administration some flexibility within the FY2024 budget to find resources to address these needs.
This deal was made between legislative leadership and the Governor at the 11th hour to provide some additional time and housing security for those currently eligible under Vermont’s pandemic-era General Assistance Emergency Housing Program, but did not address the housing or shelter needs of those who lost this benefit in the last month. (Those who are eligible under the provisions of the new bill have until June 30 to reapply.) The Legislature and Administration is still moving ahead with services and a shelter RFP to try to support the rest of the households.
Members of both the House and Senate, most of whom were not part of the planning and negotiations related to this bill, shared similar concerns related to multiple aspects of the bill: the definition of disability in the eligibility criteria, requirements for people to maintain their hotel rooms, and the fate of households who left their hotel rooms on June 1.
The proposal does not specify how much extending eligibility will cost or how much total funding is available, but has identified existing resources that both the Legislature and Administration hope will be adequate. They will return in December with the Budget Adjustment to review and act.
Furthermore, $19M of the $40M in general fund appropriations allocated to VHCB have been redirected or restricted for other purposes, including the Vermont Housing Improvement Program and a new initiative to place manufactured homes on empty lots in parks around the state, with a priority of housing people currently living in motels.
Both bodies also shared the common positive message of this bill being a much-needed step toward the transition from a motel-based general assistance program.
You can read the full text of H.171 here.
Gratitude
Although this has been a challenging session and there is much work ahead, we are grateful for the housing wins in the 2024 budget, including near-full statutory funding for VHCB and significant appropriations for affordable housing and shelter expansion, as well as home repair, rental housing, and supportive services.
In this additional bill, we deeply appreciate the willingness of both legislative bodies and the administration to find a compromise that will keep thousands of people safely and stably housed through April 2024. It’s not an ideal solution and many vulnerable people are left out, but it is a step in the right direction and a bridge towards permanent affordable housing.
There is an ongoing and pressing need to create more permanently affordable homes and for people to have both opportunity and choice in that housing.
We recognize both the importance of negotiations and compromise AND the value of including stakeholders and the organizations and people doing the work in the planning. Several VAHC members have expressed concern about the implementation of the provisions of this bill and potential unintended consequences. We look forward to working with the Joint Fiscal Committee and the administration to make sure that the positive benefits of this bill can support as many people as possible – and shift course if that’s needed.
Next Steps
With the passage of H.171 and the budget veto override, the Coalition is turning its attention to the next legislative session - and the work that needs to be started now to make sure that we have a robust and inclusive set of legislative priorities. This work will start earlier than anticipated, with the opportunity to engage with the Joint Fiscal Committee on their oversight and evaluation of the GA emergency housing program wind-down, and the progress of finding permanent housing for as many people as possible.
We look forward to engaging with members of the Legislative workgroup to develop a realistic timeline and process to get ready for the 2024 session and to ensure that all policy discussions occur within a framework of diversity, inclusion, and equity.
Meanwhile, our merger with the Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness is underway and we look forward to approaching the next legislative session as a stronger, more collaborative organization, committed to a Vermont future where everyone has a home in which to live with dignity and opportunity.
We look forward to these next steps with all of you.
In community,
Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition Steering Committee
Jess Hyman, Co-Chair
Owiso Makuku, Co-Chair
Robert Little, Vice-Chair
Michael Redmond, Treasurer
Marion Major, Secretary
Amy Demetrowitz
Martin Hahn
Michelle Kersey
Kevin Loso
Patricia Parker
Heather Starzynski
Lindsay Thrall
Please feel free to reach out to VAHC Steering Committee Co-chairs Jess Hyman and Owiso Makuku at vahcchair@vtaffordablehousing.org
