The Burlington School District, Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity and Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak are calling on state leaders to support unsheltered families across the Green Mountain state. The call to action comes in the wake of new restrictions to Vermont’s General Assistance Program − often referred to as the motel/hotel program − leaving many people, including families with young children, without a place to sleep.
The General Assistance Program offers a wide range of benefits to Vermont’s most vulnerable. In this case, the Transitional Housing aspect of the program is what will be subjected to change. The Department of Children and Families said they work with around 70 hotel and motel partners to house families in need. The new restrictions now cap the total number of available hotel and motel rooms at 1,100.
1,416 households - 1,733 adults and 520 children - were part of the program as of Aug. 12 according to the DCF's monthly housing report. If those numbers retained until the changes went into effect mid-September, that leaves over 300 families unhoused.
The new regulations also introduce an 80-day limit on stays from April 1 to Dec. 1. There is no cap on the number of rooms available during the winter.
Vermont has high rate of homelessness
Vermont has the second highest per capita rate of homelessness in the country, according to the 2023 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The report stated that "an estimated 3,295 people, or 51 out of every 10,000 people were experiencing homelessness in Vermont during the point-in-time count in January 2023. New York was the only state to have a higher homelessness rate in 2023."
According to the most recent point-in-time data conducted in January 2024, 3,458 people were recorded experiencing homelessness, an increase from the previous year. The largest percentage − nearly 25% − were located in Chittenden County.
For those who are unhoused but aren't considered part of a "family" by the state, there are even fewer options. Vermont has 550 traditional shelter beds, with 223 being in Chittenden County. Even fewer operate year-round, according to data from the Chittenden County Homeless Alliance . Looking at the previously mentioned number of people facing homelessness, the number of beds available can only provide a small amount of them a bed.
Mayor calls for help from the state and the community
“We cannot stand idly by while children, elders and people with disabilities go without shelter,” Mulvaney-Stanak said in a Sept. 20 press release. “The city, together with our community partners will do what we can to support those being exited from motels, but camping is not a solution to this crisis. The state must step up to immediately create more shelter space.”
She called on Gov. Phil Scott and the Agency of Human Services to put up emergency shelters for families with children “rapidly.”
The sentiment was supported by Burlington School District Superintendent Tom Flanagan and CVOEO Community Action Network Director Travis Poulin, with Flanagan stating the schools will offer support to students who may be affected by these restrictions.
Poulin pointed out that the community has more unhoused people than resources to serve them, with people on waiting lists for beds in local homeless shelters.
What Burlington is doing
For now, Burlington is taking a handful of steps to support those families, including:
- The city will make available up to 12 campsites free of cost for families exiting motels. They will engage local service partners to connect with the families. Contact Sarah Russell, special assistant to end homelessness to make a referral: srussell@burlingtonvt.gov.
- The city is putting out a call for property owners who may have available commercial or residential space to reach out to the Community and Economic Development Office by emailing cedofd@burlingtonvt.gov.
- The city, CVOEO and Burlington School District are asking the community to dontae resources including flashlights, tarps, line or rope, tents (eight person is ideal), sleeping bags and blankets, coolers, water jugs, cooking supplies, propane cooking stove and propane tanks and funding for firewood.
Donations can be dropped off between 8:30 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, on 255 South Champlain St., Burlington.
Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com .
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Burlington to offer assistance to unhoused families leaving motels
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