The unsheltering of vulnerable people is a policy choice that has created a crisis in our communities, and we need to take action to address the impacts of the arbitrary and harmful caps on access to the emergency shelter through the general assistance program.
In a state that prides itself on its compassion and mutual support, everyone should have a safe and secure place to live. The people of Vermont broadly agree that we need humane, long-term solutions to the state’s housing crisis—and continued funding for emergency housing in the meantime.
Eliminating housing for hundreds of people—all of whom have already been determined to be some of our most vulnerable friends and neighbors—during a historic housing crisis has put countless Vermonters at imminent risk of harm. Far from saving the state money, this plan simply passes financial and legal liability to our cities and towns and will cost taxpayers far more in the long run than it would to fund humane solutions now.
That is why last week we published an open letter to all municipalities outlining their responsibilities to protect the rights of unhoused people, and at the same time offering our support for municipalities urging state leaders to address the problem that they have created.
The civil liberties case for Housing First policies
This mass unsheltering is deeply troubling to the ACLU of Vermont on several fronts—not only because it is a denial of the basic humanity and dignity of our unhoused neighbors, but also because we are an organization that advocates for evidence-based solutions to the root causes of harm in our communities, including homelessness and mass incarceration. Investments in short- and long-term solutions to homelessness are critical to preserving the health and safety of our communities—not criminalizing people who simply have nowhere else to go.
We know that when people are unhoused, they are far more likely to become victims of crime. We also know that people who are unhoused disproportionately suffer from substance use disorder, mental health conditions, and other disabilities that require treatment and support, not handcuffs.
Over this last year we have watched with growing alarm as we have seen thousands of Vermonters become unsheltered and pushed onto the streets. It is no surprise that after state leaders exited hundreds of people from their housing communities have expressed concern about the condition of their towns and cities.
Seeing so many of our neighbors living in crisis should absolutely concern all of us. But stigmatizing and criminalizing are not the solution. We need to act now by implementing Housing First policies and principles at all levels of our response to the homelessness crisis.
Closing off available beds and forcing people on to the street is a policy choice, not an inevitability. These policies directly harm vulnerable Vermonters who rely on the emergency housing program as a means of shelter, and it betrays our shared values of compassionate, responsive government and strong, supportive communities.
A predictible emergency
Sadly, we shared nearly identical concerns four months ago when many advocates, service provider, and policy experts came together to warn state leaders about the disastrous impact of imposing arbitrary and inhumane caps on access to emergency housing. These results were entirely predictable, and we need to stop closing our eyes to the real and devastating impacts that come from not addressing the needs of the most vulnerable in our communities.
That is why we are calling on the legislature and the administration to fund and implement short-term investments in emergency housing programs without caps and without unnecessary barriers–as well as commit to long term solutions to expanding the availability of high-quality, affordable housing in our state.
