Context:
Everyone deserves a safe and secure place to live. But for over 3,400 of our neighbors, access to reliable shelter is out of reach, not for lack of trying. After repeated calls to reform the statewide emergency shelter program, our allies in the legislature have stood up and demonstrated the leadership needed for this moment, putting forward the most comprehensive plan to address homelessness in recent years. Soon, this bill will reach Governor Scott's desk, leaving him the final choice to pass it into law or veto it.
The primary purpose of this bill is to create a permanent program with essential support services and standards. By laying the groundwork to codify our shelter system, this bill can protect shelter funding for many years to come. The proposal would redesignate the state-run emergency shelter program to Vermont's Community Action Agencies, a system of regional anti-poverty organizations.
When emergency shelter is facilitated by professionals with experience providing services that address the root causes of homelessness and poverty, outcomes for impacted individuals and families will be more humane and effective.
We need you to send Governor Scott a message: When leaders take action and ask for bold transformational change, our community stands behind them. Please take a moment to contact Governor Scott and ask him to sign H. 91 into law. Our policies need to uphold the value that housing is a human right, and we can start today by ensuring emergency housing is available to those who need it most.
