2 days ago
Scott vetoes Vermont hotel-motel shelter bill
MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – Vermont governor Phil Scott on Wednesday vetoed House Bill 91, which would establish the Emergency Temporary Shelter Program, on budgetary grounds. It is the fifth time Scott has used his veto this year.
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In his letter to the General Assembly, Scott criticized the state's hotel-motel shelter program, calling it 'a failed program' and one 'that isn't good for those in it.' He said that the fact that 135 people have died while living in hotel-motel shelters since the program's expansion suggests that it needs more accountability, and criticized the bill for proposing the state spend more than the $45 million spent on the hotel-motel program last year.
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Scott did offer other possible ideas to solve the state's homelessness issues, saying, '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. That way, those who are experiencing homelessness are more likely to get back on their feet and into permanent housing.'
Read the full text of the bill here. Note that the final version starts at the bottom of Page
Some advocates for unhoused people expressed disappointment in Scott's decision to veto the bill. Brenda Siegel, executive director of End Homelessness Vermont, said that 'there is no excuse' for the veto and called Scott's veto 'not based on science.'
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Tamara Hodge, also of End Homelessness Vermont, said she could not understand the state's lack of progress on homelessness issues. 'As someone with lived experience and who was recently sheltered in the hotels, I can not believe the unawareness of this administration to appropriately care for those most vulnerable.'
The bill passed the Vermont House in a potentially veto-proof 92-42 vote, but only passed the Vermont Senate 17-13, which reflects the current party division of that chamber.
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