Advocates gathered at the Vermont Statehouse today to call for immediate action as winter protections in the state’s emergency housing program expire.
The General Assistance, or GA, Emergency Housing Program includes winter weather protections which expire annually on April 1. Representatives from nine groups were at the Statehouse in Montpelier calling for immediate action to extend the deadline for those sheltered under the Adverse Weather Conditions policy.
Disability Rights Vermont Staff Attorney Laura Cushman is urging the governor to waive maximum stay and unit caps.
“Although there are protections for some of the most vulnerable people in the GA Emergency Housing Program, with the end of the adverse weather conditions exception, many people will find themselves back on the streets without basic shelter.”
According to the Vermont 2025 State of Homelessness report, there are nearly 4,000 homeless Vermonters.