Rep. Stevens: On the armory shelter proposal, ‘know we hear your concerns’
February 15, 2024To the Community:
I want to thank the number of my neighbors who have written emails or posts to Front Porch Forum with their thoughts on the proposal for using the Waterbury Armory for a congregate shelter for up to 50 individuals who are experiencing homelessness.
Most of the concerns and questions shared not only in this correspondence but in the public meeting are real and are important. I share many of the concerns expressed, and as Rep. Theresa Wood wrote in her Feb. 9 letter, they have been transmitted to the Department for Children and Families and with the Scott Administration.
Speaking for myself, the recent history of homelessness is important to understand, as well as the larger context of housing affordability and availability. It is also important to me to always hold as a core understanding that those who are experiencing homelessness are human and are entitled to a dignity that society does not always provide, whether it is a home, or a home with the supports in order to maintain it, and the understanding that being unhoused is rarely if ever a choice that is happily made. I have found that we dehumanize those who are unhoused at the risk of our own dignity and responsibility to others.
A reminder: in the immediate aftermath of the beginning of the pandemic, we utilized vacant motels to house those who were homeless at that time — nearly 3,000 individuals including over 500 children. Congregate shelters were closed for public safety reasons, and others who had been in unstable housing ("couch surfing") were brought inside. Federal funds were used for this and the communities stepped up to provide food, medicine and other supports. Since then, we have found permanent housing for nearly 4,000 individuals (approx. 3,000 households), and yet we still have nearly 2,500 individuals, including approximately 600 children, who need permanent and stable housing.
So what happened? The federal government stopped the emergency funding, and the planning done by the administration has not been successful. The Legislature has funded continuance of the programs based on projections that have proven to be inaccurate, and rather than having a focused vision, we have had to fight tooth and nail to make sure appropriate funding is in place for a ramp-down of the service and use of motel rooms. The motel-room solution has run its course because we are no longer providing the needed services, organizations that are able to do that are over-extended, and the motels have raised their rates and don't provide human services.
And so now, here we are, with a proposal that was, as noted by everyone, quickly but not fully planned, with many questions still unanswered. We expect these questions will be addressed next Monday evening in Waterbury, and we will continue to address them in Montpelier in the coming days and weeks.
Please know we hear your concerns and will continue to represent them as we deal with this issue in what I expect will continue to be a thoughtful and civilized way.
Rep. Tom Stevens
Waterbury
Rep. Tom Stevens represents the Washington-Chittenden district in the Vermont House covering Waterbury, Bolton, Huntington and Buel’s Gore. He chairs the House General and Housing Committee.
The Waterbury Select Board meets Monday, Feb. 19, in the upstairs meeting room at the Main Street fire station and will have the armory shelter proposal on its agenda.