Vt. lawmakers meet to address emergency housing, poverty
“Vermont lawmakers and state officials met Friday to wrestle with how to sustain emergency housing programs this winter — and in the future — in the face of diminishing federal support. A joint committee of House and Senate lawmakers is searching for short-term solutions to a long-term problem. ‘It’s such a complex range of needs. But what I’m seeing more and more is just people who are being squeezed out of the housing market,’ Good Samaritan Haven executive director Rick Deangelis testified to lawmakers. Housing, utility, and mental health service providers outlined a grim picture of human service needs heading into the winter. ‘During this pandemic, the work we have done addressing people in crisis has grown dramatically,’ said Sue Minter with Capstone Community Action. The groups urged lawmakers to stay focused on keeping people housed and investing in programs that are showing results to keep people in their homes.”