News from Montpelier 2021 session week 15

With the exception of testimony taken on H.178 an act relating to low-alcohol spirits beverages, the House Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs dedicated the week to considering many aspects of the housing crisis. The bills that framed the testimony and discussions were S.79, H.232, H.273 and H.401. A joint hearing was held with House Agriculture and Forestry for witnesses to provide testimony on agricultural housing. Commissioner Josh Hanford from the Department of Housing and Community Development gave the committee a summary of Governor Scott’s housing proposal in regard to the allocation of nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in ARPA funds for addressing homelessness, housing insecurity, and expanding Vermont’s low-and middle-income housing stock.
Challenges to find affordable homes for ownership as well as the availability and condition of rental units all combine to build the situation that exists; one that leaves too many unhoused. The pandemic placed the State in an emergency response scenario that has housed as many as 2700 in motels/hotels and saved lives over this past year but is not a sustainable solution. It doesn’t provide proper home amenities for those it serves, and the price will become unaffordable when FEMA no longer provides funding. The Chair proposed next Friday as a deadline for the committee to pass out S.79 with amendments that the committee wishes to propose that would help with the housing transition.
Bills that passed on the House Floor this week included H.265 an act relating to the Office of the Child Advocate, H.449 an act relating to the membership and duties of the Vermont Pension Investment Commission and the creation of the Pension Benefits, Design and Funding Task Force and H.446 an act relating to miscellaneous natural resource and development subjects. The only roll call of the week was on whether H.449 should be read a third time and was agreed to on a vote of 125 Yeas to 22 Nays. An amendment that was accepted to this bill eliminates the inclusion of siblings and in-laws to the list of relatives that would negatively affect the independent status of the two financial experts appointed by the Governor to the Commission. S.114 an act relating to improving prekindergarten through grade 12 literacy within the State and S.45 an act relating to earned discharge from probation both were passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment and a rule suspension was requested to allow S.114 to be moved through all stages of passage.
Representative Barbara S Murphy bmurphy@leg.state.vt.us 802-849-6545