Office of Lt. Governor David Zuckerman
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1st, 2024
Contact
Lisa Gerlach
Chief of Staff, Office of the Lt. Governor
(802) 636-7047
Lisa.gerlach@vermont.gov
NEWS: Lt. Governor Zuckerman releases statement regarding Vermont’s homelessness crisis
MONTPELIER, Vt: On Tuesday, Lt. Governor Zuckerman released the following statement of support regarding a letter send by legislators to Governor Scott this morning calling on him to declare a state of emergency over Vermont’s homelessness crisis:
“It has been heartbreaking to hear the stories of those who have been evicted from hotels and motels in the past weeks due to the cuts that were made to the program. These cuts were ultimately passed by the legislature because of the Governor’s veto threat if those cuts were not included. Now, hundreds of Vermonters, including families with young children and people with disabilities, have been pushed out onto the streets without enough shelter beds, affordable housing units, or other alternatives for them to have adequate shelter. The Governor has regularly stated we should care for our most vulnerable, and I agree. We have a moral obligation to help the most vulnerable among us, and we are failing to do so under this administration.
“It is clear that we cannot continue to stand idly by as we watch this humanitarian crisis unfold. I hope that the Governor will listen to the legislators who have called for a state of emergency to be declared so funds can be used to help shelter vulnerable Vermonters who are experiencing homelessness and have nowhere to go while we work strategically to build more affordable housing in Vermont. In the next session, I am also calling for the House to again pass, and the Senate to take up H.829 so that we can effectively tackle our affordable housing crisis for all Vermonters in both the short and long term.”
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