Hello fellow Vermonters,
This is an email I found myself sending after attending a meeting focused on housing in Vermont.
Edit: Leave an upvote if you find the information useful. It's important for people to know what's happening.
Additional Edit: I want to be very clear that I am writing this to bring awareness to an ugly situation. It's the classic "stuck between a rock and a hard place". There is no "magic" solution to this problem... It is worth asking however, where should the line be drawn between the overwhelming need to provide housing, versus funding greedy property owners who are openly abusive towards tenants. Somewhere along the line there was a critical failure and things descended into chaos. I want to identify this failure and bring it to the forefront so it can be addressed and hopefully improved upon.
>>
One of the biggest things that stood out to me from the meeting yesterday, when I mentioned the ongoing abuse at these properties in the Transitional Housing Program, was everyone saying "if we could do something we would, but we can't afford to have the hotels withdraw from the program." I do believe that those in the Housing Coalitions care... but they have been beaten down into lower standards of care and oversight out of fear alone.
If I was fearful of every repercussion that comes with the activist work I do I would not accomplish anything.
With the current state of disrepair these properties are in, they simply can not afford to "pull-out" of the THP. Without massive renovations they would not be able to successfully open for tourists. From a simple economic standpoint, it's not possible.
These hotels/motels are not only violating the guidelines of the OA set out for the THP, but they are also not meeting many of the expectations and guidelines set out by Vermont's Lodging Statutes. These statutes also clearly state that renters are not to be harassed or abused. AHS fear of retaliation means many of these properties have not been inspected for over 24 months, despite VDH having full knowledge of these violations and the abuse taking place.
It's important to note that this is "Federal Emergency Funding" which comes with its own set of rules and guidelines concerning spending, and the oversight of such spending. The complete lack of oversight from AHS across the board have led to gross violations of these Federal spending guidelines. Continuing down the line, the hotel/motel owners by breaching the Occupancy Agreement contract, and not meeting public health statutes, are also in gross violation of federal emergency spending guidelines.
This means its not up to Vermont AHS to "decide" to not intervene despite however they feel.
As you can imagine, the Feds (and our legislatures) are irate when they find out MILLIONS of dollars are funding properties with blatant human rights violations.
This is an IRS level misallocation of federal funding. It's absolutely INSANE that I have meetings with Human Rights Commissions and our Legislatures concerning this topic and it's a "must be stopped" conversation to the point of the Attorney General being involved for prosecution. It's also much easier to get in touch with Senate and Congress than it is with DCF supervisors... Pretty sad.
When I get in the room with AHS, the very people tasked with oversight and protecting individuals.... They clearly state that they are unable to perform their state duties out of fear of retaliation from these property owners.
If AHS is fearful of retaliation, you can only imagine how those housed on these properties are being treated.
I will not, and neither should anyone else involved, stand for this level of "hands off" care that Vermont AHS is such a fan of. It's pathetic that I have to open a federal investigation to get state agencies to do what they are tasked with.
I'm fuckin sick of beating around "the bush" on this issue. It's time we cut that bush down and put it through a chipper.
Vermont is better than this.
chapek-nine t1_iz5llxr wrote
Why do you think 'Vermont is better than this'?
Vermont state agencies unofficial motto:
'we're not happy until you're not happy'