This Issue Update newsletter is part of a series that provides more information on each priority issue on the Alliance's 2024 Legislative Agenda. The Legislative Agenda is crafted annually in partnership with early childhood organizations that are advancing legislative policy solutions related to health, safety, food security, economic security, and early care and education. The priority issues were selected by the Alliance's 21 member Steering Committee.

 

Housing and Homelessness: Ensure Access to Safe, Stable, and Affordable Housing

The pandemic and the 2023 flooding illuminated and exacerbated the challenges too many Vermonters face finding and maintaining affordable housing The crisis is of particular concern for families with young children who are at risk for and are currently experiencing homelessness. Currently, 1,273 households rely on state emergency housing programs (the Pandemic Era Hotel/Motel Transition Program and the traditional General Assistance Emergency Housing Program). At least 196 of these households are families with children. The Hotel/Motel Program is set to end in April, leaving the outdated and more limited General Assistance Program as the only emergency housing option when shelter beds are not available, which will result in many Vermont households without shelter.

  • The Alliance supports the Housing & Homelessness Alliance of Vermont (HHAV) in its request for the Legislature to do the following:
  • Make $160 million in housing capital available for affordable housing and shelter development and preservation
  • Provide full statutory funding of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board through the Property Transfer Tax
  • Re-envision the state-run emergency housing system
  • Ensure adequate funding for General Assistance emergency housing and households remaining after the end of the Hotel/Motel program (the June Cohort) while any programmatic changes are implemented
  • Adequately fund the state programs that provide support and services for households in temporary and permanent housing, with particular attention to housing stability and retention services designed to increase sustainability and prevent homelessness for Vermont families.

Update: For an update on the latest developments on this this issue, please see the third item from our most recent newsletter. 

 

Data and Talking Points

  • On average, over 3700 children aged 9 and under were in households enrolled in Reach Up at one point in FFY22
  • Vermont counties have a rental housing vacancy rate of 0.5% to 3% which is far below the ideal rate of 5%
 

Lead Organization

Housing and Homelessness Alliance of Vermont

The Housing & Homelessness Alliance of is a merger of the Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness and the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, formed in 2023. This dynamic new organization builds on a long history of collaboration and shared goals and will have a stronger and more unified voice in the Statehouse, a larger staff with more capacity, and more stable and sustainable funding steams.

The Housing & Homelessness Alliance of Vermont also serves as the collaborative application to the Vermont Balance of State Continuum of Care (the VT BoS CoC), which is charged with managing HUD CoC activities such as the Homeless Management Information System and the annual Point-in-Time Count of those experiencing homelessness. HHAV assists the VT BoS CoC in submitting the annual CoC Grant Application (Notice of Funding Opportunity).

 

Alliance Legislative Agenda: Housing and Homelessness – 3/14

This winter, the Alliance is hosting virtual Weekly Issue Spotlights leading up to ECDL. Each session focuses on one or two issues from the Alliance’s 2024 Legislative Agenda. Joined by representatives from the lead organizations, participants can ask direct questions and hear a brief legislative update regarding the issues. 

The next session will be held Monday, March 18, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm, and focuses on one issue on our Legislative Agenda – Housing and Homelessness: Ensure Access to Safe, Stable, and Affordable Housing.

Led by Beverly Boget from the Alliance, this session is a great opportunity to learn more about this issue, where it stands in the Legislature, and how to get involved.

 
 

The Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance is a statewide coalition formed in 2000 of early childhood professionals, parents, organizations, businesses, and strategic partners committed to improving public policies that impact young children between birth and age eight in the areas of health, safety, food security, economic security, and early care and education.

The Alliance crafts an annual Legislative Agenda in partnership with early childhood organizations, provides year-round advocacy support, and facilitates meaningful interactions with policymakers at key times during the decision making process.

RECENT NEWSLETTERS

Alliance March Legislative/Issue Update; Alliance Weekly Issue Spotlight - 3/11; Register for ECDL

Alliance Weekly Issue Spotlight – Housing and Homelessness – 3/18; Alliance Equity Discussion – Forming an Advisory Committee – 3/29; Afterschool Expansion Grant – Extended to 3/20; One Month Until ECDL - Register Now!

7 School Street | Montpelier , Vermont 05602

vecaa.org

The Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance is a program of the Vermont Community Loan Fund.

Follow Us

Unsubscribe or Manage Your Preferences