Like most states, Vermont does not keep track of how many homeless residents die or what kills them. Seven Days and Vermont Public set out to count, for the first time, how many Vermonters have died while homeless during the past four years, by using death certificates, public obituaries, police reports, news accounts and interviews. The outlets identified at least 82 people who died either living outside or sheltered in motels between 2021 and 2024.
People die in largely invisible ways, in tents, sheds, motel rooms, and dumpsters. The majority of the deaths were from drug overdoses, but people are also hit by cars, and die prematurely from natural causes.
The cold alone hasn't killed homeless Vermonters in recent years, though some 2024 death certificates are still being finalized. But advocates worry that could change. Homelessness rates have spiked in Vermont, and the state's shelter system is maxed out.
This submission is a condensed version of the original report, which can be found here.
