Local providers, outreach groups and a faith‑based ministry described a sharp rise in unsheltered homelessness, higher behavioral‑health acuity among people seeking services, and urgent gaps in year‑round shelter capacity during testimony before the House committee on Oct. 30.

Taylor Thibault, chair of the Chittenden County Homeless Alliance and associate director at Champlain Housing Trust, told the committee that proposed federal changes to the Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Opportunity could cap how much communities may use CoC funds for permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing beginning in FY2027. Using CCHA’s modeling, Thibault said a cap could force 15–20 formerly chronic homeless individuals back into the street in the most severe scenario and that CCHA could lose an estimated $336,000–$587,000 depending on the cap level; even moderate assumptions showed losses of more than $270,000.

Jonathan Ferrell, executive director of the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) in Burlington, presented FY2025 operational data for single‑adult services: he said day‑station unique visitors rose from about 500 three years ago to 1,862 in the most recent fiscal year; the overnight Waystation (36 beds) served 161 people, about 70 percent of whom self‑reported a disabling condition (including mental‑health, chronic physical health, substance use and developmental disabilities). Ferrell described higher acuity, more frequent medical discharges to the street, and a need for residential treatment capacity that shelters do not provide. COTS reported its average length of stay in year‑round shelter was about nine months, with some stays up to 18 months.

Julie Vaughn, executive director of Good Samaritan Haven (Washington County), said Washington County now has more than twice as many people living outdoors as in emergency shelter and that the county receives about 30 percent less funding per unhoused person than Chittenden County. Good Samaritan’s outreach team reported serving about 220 people outdoors while available shelter beds are roughly 94; the operator said a regional roadmap would require roughly 100 additional beds to stabilize the county, including complex‑care shelter spaces and supportive SROs.

Jenna O’Farrell of Northeast Kingdom Community Action and Bethann Mayer of Christ Episcopal Church described similar pressures in rural communities: Moose River’s low‑barrier shelter and micro‑shelter projects have returned permanent housing exits but staffing and hotel capacity are limited in remote counties. Mayer described a church parking‑lot encampment where outreach workers connected people to hotels and rehab and said outreach and consistent contact were critical to helping people enter housing or treatment.

State officials described near‑term shelter developments and an adjusted extreme cold‑weather plan. Lily Sojourner, director of the Office of Economic Opportunity (DCF), listed seasonal and year‑round shelter projects expected to come online over the winter and reported a revised cold‑weather activation threshold from minus‑20°F to minus‑10°F; Vermont Interfaith Action will administer the expanded extreme‑weather program, which the state expects will increase regional coverage. Sojourner said the state is working with providers on training and technical assistance and that total newly contracted year‑round capacity in the current cycle represents dozens of beds (projects in Montpelier, Rutland, Brattleboro, White River Junction, and other regions were cited as in progress).

Witnesses warned that shelters are not clinical treatment providers and urged state investment in 24‑7 residential treatment and recovery residences: providers said many clients cannot complete housing searches or applications while dealing with active mental‑health crises or substance use without higher levels of clinical supports.

Attorneys and the Human Services Board described how the expiration of a prior executive order and subsequent agency practice led to a wave of General Assistance (GA) emergency‑housing appeals. Attorney Mary Neely Griffin said hundreds of families lost hotel placements when the executive‑order protections expired on July 1 and that some appeals resulted in HSB decisions concluding households had statutory entitlement to a new 80‑day GA allocation for fiscal year 2026. Chief Hearing Officer Joe Reiner said the board received roughly 400 GA appeals after June 15 and has issued preliminary relief in many cases; he and others told the committee that non‑consolidated appeals, delays obtaining agency records and inconsistent agency implementation prolonged outcomes and strained providers and advocates.

Both legal advocates and HSB officials urged changes to expedite appeals and clarify administrative practice: proposals discussed included (1) statutory language to allow consolidated appeals when many petitioners raise the same legal issue, (2) clear timelines for agency transmission of records and supervisor reviews, and (3) a requirement that the agency implement HSB legal findings uniformly rather than on a case‑by‑case basis.

The committee heard requests from providers for state partnership on short‑term bridges (to avoid December exits), targeted investment in recovery‑oriented residential capacity, expanded low‑barrier shelter beds tailored to local needs, and funding to preserve homelessness prevention and housing‑navigation staff. State officials said they are pursuing a mix of short‑term seasonal capacity and year‑round projects, but witnesses noted that development timelines, local permitting and funding limits constrain how quickly large numbers of year‑round beds can be added.

The legislative committee asked for further information on expected bed counts and contingency plans and signaled intent to pursue budget and policy follow‑up before winter.