Vermont House of Representatives Passes Bipartisan Emergency Housing Modernization Bill
- jonathan121797
- 11 minutes ago
- 2 min read
MONTPELIER, VT — The Vermont House of Representatives passed H.91, legislation that reforms the emergency housing program away from a hotel/motel focused program to a prevention and supportive service-based model. The strong bi-partisan vote reflects months of hard work, deep collaboration amongst state and community partners, and thoughtful input from Vermonters. Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski and Representative Theresa Wood, Chair of the Committee on Human Services, highlighted the importance of the bill:
“The passage of H.91 is a huge step forward in moving our emergency housing program to a more cost effective, prevention-based program that some of our most vulnerable Vermonters desperately need,” said Speaker Jill Krowinski. “For years now, we have asked the Governor and his Administration for a plan to transition to a better system of care for Vermonters who did not have a roof over their heads. A plan never came.
“I could not be more thankful for Representative Thresa Wood’s leadership and members of the Human Services Committee who worked across the aisle to create a plan that will provide the support vulnerable Vermonters need and one that will save the state money in the long term.”
“This bill makes the transition to a community-based service system that can be creative, quick acting and responsive to the needs of people who are homeless and perhaps most importantly, focused on preventing homelessness,” said Representative Theresa Wood. “Critical decisions are best made in the community, closest to the people who are impacted.”
“Recently, Vermonters have heard many conflicting stories regarding what this program is and what it isn’t. This program exists to house our most vulnerable Vermonters: pregnant women, veterans, domestic violence victims, medically vulnerable individuals, and families with children,” said Speaker Jill Krowinski. “We as a state have a decision before us: do we believe in supporting our neighbors that need our help or are we ok with turning our backs on Vermonters that have no access to a roof over their heads? I, for one, believe this is an easy choice and I look forward to seeing how our colleagues in the Senate and the Governor and his Administration show up on this important issue.”
Contact:
Molly Moore, Office of the Speaker
802-424-6111