Homelessness & Housing

The bill would have marked a fundamental pivot in how Vermont approaches homelessness, which has spiked amid a crushing housing shortage and rising housing costs.

Congressional cuts to federal rental aid have prompted Vermont’s largest housing authorities to stop issuing new Section 8 vouchers. The state’s nine local housing agencies estimate they need to shelve nearly 1,000 vouchers from their rolls by the end of the year.

A housing agency rule would also allow work requirements. Supporters say a time limit would help spread limited funds to more people, but critics warn it would leave some homeless.

The Trump administration want to cut the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Advocates in the Northeast warn the results would be dangerous to residents, if not deadly.

At his weekly press conference, Scott said that he had not yet read the final version of the bill, but indicated that lawmakers “would have had to move a long ways” before gaining his signature.

A largely party-line vote over S.127 on Friday after more than a week of discord among House lawmakers over the marquee infrastructure program.

Despite a waitlist of thousands of Vermonters, the Vermont State Housing Authority says it won’t be able to issue new vouchers for now and will aim to trim about 489 vouchers from its existing rolls through attrition.

Administration officials have been pressuring lawmakers to speed up the transition away from the emergency motel housing program, and cut down on costs. Despite winning some concessions, the governor’s administration wouldn’t say whether it was satisfied.

Housing advocates say a cap on the amount of state tax revenue set aside for the new CHIP program would severely limit the number of homes that could be built with its help, among concerns about other restrictions.

Here’s a look at the top changes this year’s eclectic housing package would make — including where lawmakers are still debating the details and where Gov. Phil Scott’s administration stands.