Wed. 7/10/13 at Noon & 7PM
Significant change is afoot in how much emergency housing the state will provide for homeless people. This winter the Legislature cut funding for hotel rooms when homeless shelters are full. Last year the state spent $4 million on the General Assistance program; this year lawmakers slashed the program by more than half, to $1.5 million.
Starting now, the rules to get hotel vouchers will be a lot stricter. Commissioner David Yacovone of the Department for Children and Families explains how the funding cut and rules change is intended to curb the problem of over-reliance on assistance programs. We also talk with Josh Davis, executive director at Morningside Shelter in Brattleboro, about why he says the intentions are good, but the policy is moving forward too quickly.
Also in the program, the value and skill of photojournalists has been called into question recently as digital photography proliferates and professional photographers have been laid off from major newspapers around the country and in Vermont. We talk with Burlington Free Press photographer Emily McManamy about state of professional photojournalism.
And, we spotlight three classical music festivals that are underway this weekend. VPR Classical host Kari Anderson gives us the lowdown on Marlboro Music, the Killington Music Festival and the Manchester Music Festival.
