The Vermont Department of Children and Families, Economic Services Division announced changes to the General Assistance (GA) Emergency Housing rules to go into effect on July 15, 2013. The new rules will drastically affect how vulnerable Vermonter’s access emergency motel vouchers. Housing and homelessness advocates fear that the new restrictions will leave many Vermonters with no place to go when shelters are full. The Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition has reached out to legislative leadership and the Shumlin administration to try to overturn the changes. Last week, Agency of Human Services Secretary Doug Racine convened a meeting with housing and low-income advocates and homeless service providers to discuss the proposed changes. Racine promised to review changes to the GA rules to see if they could be modified and to increase collaboration with GA stakeholders.
Please let the Governor and the senators and representatives from your area know this is an unacceptable situation and ask them to help!
Changes to GA Emergency Housing Rules
GA Rules Legal Notice
H. 530 section E.321.1 – GA Emergency Housing
VAHC Letter to House Speaker Shap Smith & Senate President Pro Tem John Campbell
Link to Legislative Directory
Link to Governor’s website
Advocates have been featured in several media sources since the June 27 announcement:
Seven Days – 6/28/2013
Morningside Shelter Tent Drive Press Release – 6/28/2013
Brattleboro Reformer – 6/29/2013
WCAX – 7/1/2013
VTDigger – 7/2/2013
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