Housing is a Human Right

In a state that prides itself on its compassion and mutual support, everyone should have a safe and secure place to live. And yet, Vermont has the 2nd highest rate of homelessness in the country and is on track to potentially have the highest rate of homelessness nationwide this year. Three times as many people were recorded as experiencing homelessness in January 2023 compared to January 2020. Learn more from Vermont's 2023 Point-in-Time Count of Those Experiencing Homelessness.

As the state ends its emergency motel-voucher program in Summer 2023, thousands of Vermonters stand to lose their temporary housing, including hundreds of children and people with disabilities. Eliminating housing of this scale during a historic housing crisis betrays our shared values of compassionate, responsive government and strong, supportive communities. Far from saving the state money, this plan simply passes financial and legal liability to our cities and towns.

Make no mistake, our state absolutely has the resources to support all of our neighbors – what we need now is leadership.

The ACLU of Vermont sent an open letter to Vermont’s municipal leaders and agencies urging respect for constitutional rights at a time when the number of unhoused people and families in Vermont communities is increasing rapidly. The ACLU has filed numerous legal actions to vindicate the rights of low-income and unsheltered Vermonters in recent years.

The ACLU’s letter notes that Governor Scott and the Vermont legislature chose to end the state’s emergency housing program without providing sufficient alternatives. That policy choice will compound the stress on localities and service providers—who are already strained beyond capacity—to meet existing needs. While calling on cities and towns to respect the constitutional rights of all residents, the ACLU is also urging all Vermonters to demand solutions—and adequate funding—from Governor Scott and state legislators.

Vermonters who are unsheltered or struggling with houselessness have a right to exist in public spaces, and property rights. Read our Know Your Rights Guide for Unhoused Vermonters to learn what is prohibited and to understand your rights under the law.

We urge state leaders to act now on behalf of everyone who has relied on the emergency housing program, and the countless Vermonters who share these concerns for their neighbors' safety. Contact your representatives today and urge them to provide funding for the extension of emergency housing programs when they return for a veto-override session in late June.

It's also a good time to reach out to leaders in your community—the select board, city council, town manager, police chief, and others—and urge them to extend humane and compassionate support to people experiencing homelessness, not punishment and criminalization. Local leaders need to know that residents of their community will not tolerate inaction on this issue or further stigmatization of people living in poverty.