Updated: August 2024

Author: Agency of Human Services Central Office

Prior to 2021 the number of people experiencing homelessness in Vermont remained relatively consistent for many years. Predictably, the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 caused a significant increase in the number of adults and children experiencing homelessness. During the pandemic, state funding for motel vouchers increased to coincide with the COVID-19 State of Emergency, and it is important to note that numbers reported here include those housed in motels with a voucher (temporarily housed).

Unfortunately, a few years out from the pandemic Vermont still has a very high number of people and families who are unhoused. While the economy has largely recovered in many areas since 2020, there are additional pressures in Vermont impacting ongoing availability and affordability of housing.

Homelessness in Vermont is a population-level problem. The Agency of Human Services (AHS) and its departments work to improve people’s ability to access affordable housing and retain housing during times of crisis. However, AHS recognizes that barriers to housing are a result of systemic issues and require cooperation and alignment well beyond our work. Each of the partners below has a role to play in improving this population-level indicator for the state of Vermont.

• All Departments in the Agency of Human Services
• Community Action Agencies
• Designated Agencies
• Emergency Shelter Network
• Governor’s Council on Homelessness
• Governor’s Housing Council
• Health Care Providers
• Housing First Organizations
• Local Faith Community
• Local Housing Authorities
• Local Land Trusts
• PATH Providers
• Private Landlords
• Supportive Housing Providers
• Transitional Housing Providers
• U.S. Department of Agriculture – Rural Development
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security – FEMA – Emergency Food & Shelter Program
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness
• Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition
• Vermont Center for Independent Living
• Vermont’s Continuum of Care
• Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development
• Vermont Community Development Board
• Vermont Housing and Conservation Board
• Vermont Housing Finance Agency
• Vermont State Housing Authority
• VT Coalition of Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs
• Warming Shelters and Drop-In Centers

And most importantly, Vermonters experiencing homelessness and the neighbors, friends, families and communities who help them find a place to call home.

Reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness in Vermont requires the sustained work of our many partners, an honest assessment of the complex challenges and barriers to obtaining stable housing, and the collective will to address these challenges in a coordinated way. Quality jobs, transportation, education, and affordable healthcare all impact someone’s ability to obtain safe and stable housing. Many programs in the Agency of Human Services and beyond are working to improve all of these areas.

A few components of a successful strategy to end homelessness in Vermont include:

• Significant development of more rental housing which is affordable and accessible to Vermont households earning less than 30% of area median income. Once built, this housing must be available to people experiencing homelessness. A culture change may be required to move us from a position of “who is eligible for housing?” to “what blend of supportive services or subsidy assistance will each family need to maintain stable housing?”
• A more intentional approach to combining and aligning rental assistance (federal and state) with the supportive services people and families need.
• Strengthening of local Continuum of Care groups and Housing Review Teams. These systems-level approaches can reduce the length of time someone experiences homelessness. Such approaches include coordinated intake, common assessment tools, and rapid referrals to the most appropriate housing, program or assistance.
• Implementing best practices in emerging areas such as Rapid Rehousing.

Homelessness remains a challenging problem in Vermont, with factors contributing to housing instability at the individual and systems level. Some of these factors include: not enough houses, houses that are old and in need of investment to become safe, a limited rental market, increased competition for rental subsidies, historical and ongoing biases limiting the ability to get financing, impacts of multi-generational poverty, lack of support systems, lack of housing accessible for people with a disability, and more.

While no single measure of homelessness purports 100% accuracy, the Point-In-Time count uses standard definitions developed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and constitutes Vermont’s best proxy measure at this time. The Vermont annual Point in Time count includes people staying in an emergency shelter, transitional housing for homeless people, a place not meant for human habitation, or staying in a motel paid for by General Assistance Emergency Housing. 

The data for this measure comes from the annual Point-in-Time count of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January of each year.

The count for 2024 is based on preliminary data from Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness and is subject to change. Previous numbers are from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Exchange database.