[SRCAction] Help Save Emergency Housing Cold Weather Exemption for Low Income and Homeless Vermonters

Tue Mar 21 08:21:14 CDT 2017

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.

In solidarity,

Rev. Joan

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Erhard Mahnke <erhardm at vtaffordablehousing.org>
Date: Mon, Mar 20, 2017 at 6:30 PM
Subject: ALERT: Emergency Housing Cold Weather Exemption in jeopardy –
contact lawmakers ASAP
To: Melissa Battah <melissa at viavt.org>

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Friends,

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 *eliminate the Cold Weather
Exemption (CWE) for GA Emergency Housing*.

*Please email House Appropriations members as soon as possible* 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).

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.

Here are some bullet points you can use in your email:

   - CWE serves the lowest income, homeless Vermonters
   - CWE provides safety and saves lives in dangerous cold weather
   - CWE is the humane thing to do and helps protect the vulnerable
   - CWE is the last safety net that homeless Vermonters have on the
   coldest nights of the year
   - Given deep anticipated federal cuts to safety net programs, now is not
   the time to cut programs that assist the lowest income Vermonters
   - 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 FY 16 GA Emergency Housing Report
   <http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=d0af7a00e1&e=793bf966b4>
   )
   - CWE serves many people who may not meet the state’s strict
   vulnerability criteria but are nonetheless vulnerable:
      - Pregnant women in the first or second trimester
      - Families with children over age 6
      - Older Vermonters who are not yet 65
      - Adults with medical conditions
      - Adults with disabilities who do not receive SSI or SSDI
   - 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
   - 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.
   - Abuses formerly associated with GA Emergency Housing and the CWE have
   been greatly reduced, including through the community based alternatives.

Thanks in advance for supporting Vermonters who are homeless!

Erhard Mahnke, Coordinator
--------------------------------------------
Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition
802-660-9484 <(802)%20660-9484> (wk) | 802-233-2902 <(802)%20233-2902>
(cell)
erhardm at vtaffordablehousing.org
www.vtaffordablehousing.org
<http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=7f5b66ae6f&e=793bf966b4>

-------------------------------------------------

*HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE*
*(Note: Lawmakers’ names hotlinked to biographical info)*

*Rep. Kitty Toll
<http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=656b9e72c0&e=793bf966b4>*
(D-Danville), *Chair* - ktoll at leg.state.vt.us, kittytoll at live.com
*Rep. Peter Fagan
<http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=15a50b081e&e=793bf966b4>*
(R-Rutland City), *Vice Chair* - pfagan at leg.state.vt.us
*Rep. Kathy Keenan
<http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=a0a82b7fe1&e=793bf966b4>*
(D-St. Albans City), *Ranking Member *- kkeenan at leg.state.vt.us
*Rep. Maureen Dakin
<http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=086c08d2ae&e=793bf966b4>*
(D-Colchester) - mdakin at leg.state.vt.us
*Rep. Marty Feltus
<http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=8024265d3c&e=793bf966b4>*
(R-Lyndon) - martyfeltus at gmail.com
*Rep. Bob Helm
<http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=a9c53c679b&e=793bf966b4>*
(R-Fair Haven) - rhelm at leg.state.vt.us
*Rep. Mary Hooper
<http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=2bb78466cf&e=793bf966b4>*
(D-Montpelier) - mhooper at leg.state.vt.us
*Rep. Bernie Juskiewicz
<http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=c6a109b36d&e=793bf966b4>*
(R-Cambridge) - bjuskiewicz at leg.state.vt.us
*Rep. Diane Lanpher
<http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=a2622262fc&e=793bf966b4>*
(D-Vergennes) - dlanpher at leg.state.vt.us
*Rep. Matt Trieber
<http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=6640f30642&e=793bf966b4>*
(D-Rockingham), *Clerk* - matrieber at gmail.com
*Rep. Dave Yacovone
<http://vtaffordablehousing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=330ed9f1d66cd0f0039407d34&id=f17ab34d12&e=793bf966b4>*
(D-Morrisville) - DYacovone at leg.state.vt.us

Theresa Utton-Jerman, Staff Associate - tutton at leg.state.vt.us
Maria Belliveau, Associate Fiscal Officer - mbelliveau at leg.state.vt.us
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