Vermont Public is independent, community-supported media, serving Vermont with trusted, relevant and essential information. We share stories that bring people together, from every corner of our region. New to Vermont Public? Start here.

© 2025 Vermont Public | 365 Troy Ave. Colchester, VT 05446

Public Files:
WVTI · WOXM · WVBA · WVNK · WVTQ
WVPR · WRVT · WOXR · WNCH · WVPA
WVPS · WVXR · WETK · WVTB · WVER
WVER-FM · WVLR-FM · WBTN-FM

For assistance accessing our public files, please contact hello@vermontpublic.org or call 802-655-9451.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Investigating homeless Vermonters' deaths

Vermont, like most states, doesn't track the deaths of homeless residents. An investigation by Vermont Public and Seven Days finds that at least 82 people have died in the state in the past four years while unhoused. Derek Brouwer of Seven Days, whose work focuses on law enforcement and the courts, and Liam Elder-Connors, Vermont Public’s senior reporter on public safety, provided a behind-the-scenes look at their reporting.

Resources mentioned on today's show include a warming shelter at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bennington and an overnight shelter at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier. Those looking for help or ways to volunteer can find information on Vermont 211’s website, or by calling 2-1-1.

Broadcast live on Monday, February 10, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Have questions, comments, or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Mikaela Lefrak is the host and senior producer of Vermont Edition. Her stories have aired nationally on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Marketplace, The World and Here & Now. A seasoned local reporter, Mikaela has won two regional Edward R. Murrow awards and a Public Media Journalists Association award for her work.
Andrea Laurion joined Vermont Public as a news producer for Vermont Edition in December 2022. She is a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., and a graduate of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine. Before getting into audio, Andrea worked as an obituary writer, a lunch lady, a wedding photographer assistant, a children’s birthday party hostess, a haunted house actor, and an admin assistant many times over.