Governor Scott Vetoes Overhaul of Vermont Hotel-Motel Shelter Program

Vermont Governor Phil Scott on Wednesday vetoed an overhaul of Vermont’s hotel-motel program. The bill was aimed at creating an alternative to the state’s beleaguered hotel-motel program which shelters homeless Vermonters. It would have shifted the responsibility and administration of the program to several community action agencies instead of the Agency of Human Services. In a letter to lawmakers, the governor says the bill didn’t reduce the size of the program enough and that it still costs too much. “Rather than continuing to fund a program that isn’t good for those in it, I believe we should focus on real solutions like building additional shelter capacity and requirements to engage in work, training, and treatment for those who need it,” he said.  The program ballooned in size during the pandemic, and lawmakers and the governor have struggled with how to rein in its costs and transition its clients to permanent housing.