Hundreds Lose Motel Housing as Vermont Emergency Shelter Rules Expire

Around 350 Vermonters were forced to vacate state-funded hotel housing as winter emergency shelter rules expired on Tuesday. Governor Phil Scott has extended the program through June for families with children and medically vulnerable individuals, but many others are now left searching for alternative housing. Casey Stevens, a Rutland resident in recovery, shared her struggle to secure housing after spending 80 days in a state-funded motel. Stevens, who recently landed a full-time job, says the uncertainty is daunting. Tamara Hodge, an advocate with End Homelessness Vermont, says her team is distributing supplies such as tents, sleeping bags, and winter jackets to those who have nowhere else to go. Meanwhile, lawmakers at the Vermont Statehouse continue to debate the state’s emergency housing policies, with new measures currently being considered to provide longer-term solutions.