<div dir="ltr">Please read information below on a recent move by the House Appropriations Committee to eliminate the cold weather exemption for emergency housing and ways that you can speak out in support of this important service for low income and homeless Vermonters.<div><br></div><div>In solidarity,</div><div><br></div><div>Rev. Joan<div><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div><div class="m_4651006170704671303gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><div><div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Erhard Mahnke</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:erhardm@vtaffordablehousing.org" target="_blank">erhardm@vtaffordablehousing.<wbr>org</a>></span><br>Date: Mon, Mar 20, 2017 at 6:30 PM<br>Subject: ALERT: Emergency Housing Cold Weather Exemption in jeopardy – contact lawmakers ASAP<br>To: Melissa Battah <<a href="mailto:melissa@viavt.org" target="_blank">melissa@viavt.org</a>><br><br><br><u></u>
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<br>
House Appropriations is considering approximately $8M in budget cuts in order to close its remaining budget gap for the next fiscal year, FY 18. This afternoon a majority of members voted to <strong><em>eliminate the Cold Weather Exemption (CWE) for GA Emergency Housing</em></strong>.<br>
<br>
<strong><em>Please email House Appropriations members as soon as possible</em></strong> to ask them to restore this vital program. Address your email to Rep. Kitty Toll, House Appropriations Chair, with cc to committee members and staff (see addresses below).<br>
<br>
The specific proposal is to eliminate the CWE by cutting $344,000 from the GA Emergency Housing budget and leave $150,000 in “flexible spending” to be spent at the discretion of DCF to help address a portion of the need the CWE was designed for. Rationale for the cut is that this does minimal harm to children and overall does the least harm to DCF programs. The perception is that most folks who come in under the CWE are single adults or couples without children. There is also still a perception that this program, especially the CWE is open to abuse by people who are undeserving.<br>
<br>
Here are some bullet points you can use in your email:
<ul>
<li>CWE serves the lowest income, homeless Vermonters</li>
<li>CWE provides safety and saves lives in dangerous cold weather</li>
<li>CWE is the humane thing to do and helps protect the vulnerable</li>
<li>CWE is the last safety net that homeless Vermonters have on the coldest nights of the year</li>
<li>Given deep anticipated federal cuts to safety net programs, now is not the time to cut programs that assist the lowest income Vermonters</li>
<li>CWE does NOT just serve adults – 1,334 children were served in FY 16, 3,370 in FY 15, and 1,558 in FY 14 (see <a href="http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=d0af7a00e1&e=793bf966b4" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">FY 16 GA Emergency Housing Report</a>)</li>
<li>CWE serves many people who may not meet the state’s strict vulnerability criteria but are nonetheless vulnerable:
<ul style="list-style-type:circle">
<li>Pregnant women in the first or second trimester</li>
<li>Families with children over age 6</li>
<li>Older Vermonters who are not yet 65</li>
<li>Adults with medical conditions</li>
<li>Adults with disabilities who do not receive SSI or SSDI</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Even when the CWE is in effect, people do not receive a motel voucher if there’s room in a homeless or emergency warming shelter</li>
<li>Community based alternatives, like Harbor Place, emergency overflow shelters, and short-term transitional housing, have enabled the state to make solid progress on reducing reliance on motel vouchers and the CWE. This year’s hot spots for Emergency Housing spending do not yet have overflow shelters. Additional savings can be expected in those areas once those alternatives are in place next year, making elimination of the CWE unnecessary.</li>
<li>Abuses formerly associated with GA Emergency Housing and the CWE have been greatly reduced, including through the community based alternatives. </li>
</ul>
Thanks in advance for supporting Vermonters who are homeless! <br>
<br>
Erhard Mahnke, Coordinator<br>
------------------------------<wbr>--------------<br>
Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition<br>
<a href="tel:(802)%20660-9484" value="+18026609484" target="_blank">802-660-9484</a> (wk) | <a href="tel:(802)%20233-2902" value="+18022332902" target="_blank">802-233-2902</a> (cell)<br>
<a href="mailto:erhardm@vtaffordablehousing.org" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">erhardm@vtaffordablehousing.or<wbr>g</a><br>
<a href="http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=7f5b66ae6f&e=793bf966b4" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">www.vtaffordablehousing.org</a><br>
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------------------------------<wbr>-------------------<br>
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<strong>HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE</strong><br>
<em>(Note: Lawmakers’ names hotlinked to biographical info)</em><br>
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<u><a href="http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=656b9e72c0&e=793bf966b4" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Rep. Kitty Toll</a></u> (D-Danville), <em>Chair</em> - <a href="mailto:ktoll@leg.state.vt.us" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">ktoll@leg.state.vt.us</a>, <a href="mailto:kittytoll@live.com" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">kittytoll@live.com</a><br>
<u><a href="http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=15a50b081e&e=793bf966b4" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Rep. Peter Fagan</a></u> (R-Rutland City), <em>Vice Chair</em> - <a href="mailto:pfagan@leg.state.vt.us" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">pfagan@leg.state.vt.us</a><br>
<u><a href="http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=a0a82b7fe1&e=793bf966b4" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Rep. Kathy Keenan</a></u> (D-St. Albans City), <em>Ranking Member </em>- <a href="mailto:kkeenan@leg.state.vt.us" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">kkeenan@leg.state.vt.us</a><br>
<u><a href="http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=086c08d2ae&e=793bf966b4" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Rep. Maureen Dakin</a></u> (D-Colchester) - <a href="mailto:mdakin@leg.state.vt.us" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">mdakin@leg.state.vt.us</a><br>
<u><a href="http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=8024265d3c&e=793bf966b4" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Rep. Marty Feltus</a></u> (R-Lyndon) - <a href="mailto:martyfeltus@gmail.com" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">martyfeltus@gmail.com</a><br>
<u><a href="http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=a9c53c679b&e=793bf966b4" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Rep. Bob Helm</a></u> (R-Fair Haven) - <a href="mailto:rhelm@leg.state.vt.us" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">rhelm@leg.state.vt.us</a><br>
<u><a href="http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=2bb78466cf&e=793bf966b4" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Rep. Mary Hooper</a></u> (D-Montpelier) - <a href="mailto:mhooper@leg.state.vt.us" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">mhooper@leg.state.vt.us</a><br>
<u><a href="http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=c6a109b36d&e=793bf966b4" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Rep. Bernie Juskiewicz</a></u> (R-Cambridge) - <a href="mailto:bjuskiewicz@leg.state.vt.us" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">bjuskiewicz@leg.state.vt.us</a><br>
<u><a href="http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=a2622262fc&e=793bf966b4" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Rep. Diane Lanpher</a></u> (D-Vergennes) - <a href="mailto:dlanpher@leg.state.vt.us" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">dlanpher@leg.state.vt.us</a><br>
<u><a href="http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=6640f30642&e=793bf966b4" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Rep. Matt Trieber</a></u> (D-Rockingham), <em>Clerk</em> - <a href="mailto:matrieber@gmail.com" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">matrieber@gmail.com</a><br>
<u><a href="http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=f17ab34d12&e=793bf966b4" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Rep. Dave Yacovone</a></u> (D-Morrisville) - <a href="mailto:DYacovone@leg.state.vt.us" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">DYacovone@leg.state.vt.us</a><br>
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Theresa Utton-Jerman, Staff Associate - <a href="mailto:tutton@leg.state.vt.us" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">tutton@leg.state.vt.us</a><br>
Maria Belliveau, Associate Fiscal Officer - <a href="mailto:mbelliveau@leg.state.vt.us" style="color:#26abe2;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">mbelliveau@leg.state.vt.us</a></td>
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<strong>Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition<br>
275 Northgate Rd.</strong><br>
Burlington, VT 05408<br>
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