Nearly 250 new homes plus Health & Safety Improvements at 12 Shelters Statewide
Vermont Business Magazine When the Vermont Legislature turned to the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board to manage $34.25 million in CARES Act funding appropriated in June and July, it came with a very short timeline: all the money had to be spent by the end of December. The federal funds, from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, were targeted to secure and rehabilitate permanent housing for homeless households and to make improvements to shelters in communities around the state.
Due to the layout of congregate housing, homeless shelters had been unable to follow the health and safety protocols for COVID-19 established by the Centers for Disease Control. Since March, most shelters had closed and more than 2,000 individuals were reported homeless; many were being housed in motels around the state.