From the Desk of Paul Dragon, 8/20/25

Welcome Back Head Start

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

This week we welcome back our Head Start team. Over the coming school year they will provide a safe space every day, plant seeds for the future, encourage and build confidence, spark curiosity, smile and laugh a hundred times a day and always give their heart and soul to our community. We love Head Start!

Op-ed – What happens with Vermont’s Rural Communities are left behind

In a recent op-ed, I discuss the critical question of what happens when Vermont's rural communities are left behind. As I wrote, "Food, fuel and shelter are not luxuries. They are necessities."

I invite you to read the full op-ed at the link below.

https://www.cvoeo.org/media/op-ed-what-happens-when-vermonts-rural-communities-are-left-behind

HUD Regional Administrator Visits CVOEO

Michael Banks, the New England Director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), visited both CVOEO’s Champlain Place emergency shelter and the Feeding Champlain Valley food shelf. Together, we discussed rising homelessness and food insecurity, and staff shared how important our Fair Housing program is to Vermont. We shared how the dissolving of that program will cause harm to tenants, landlords, and our community, and discussed the impact of our Fair Housing program for tenants and landlords. We shared how Fair Housing helps to prevent homelessness and that both the landlords and tenants rely on housing education, including through the Vermont Tenants Handbook which CVOEO co-produces. We talked about the power of the Preferred Renter Certificate and how it combines rental education through our Housing Advocacy Program and financial education through our Financial Futures Program. The Preferred Renter Certificate remains important not just for the tenants but for the landlords who know that a potential renter has graduated from this program and therefore the landlord can have certain level of confidence in the renter’s knowledge and commitment. We noted how the Fair Housing teams continue to experience an increased demand for services and support. In the past week, the team consulted with five people experiencing illegal housing discrimination and assisted two clients to file official complaints with the VT Human Rights Commission and HUD based on housing discrimination due to disability and race.

Foundations Shelter Approved by the Burlington Development Review Board (DRB)

CVOEO and Champlain Housing Trust presented the drawings and service model for the Foundations Family Shelter to be located in Burlington. The DRB asked questions on the design and model, and there was public comment which we also addressed. Renovations at the shelter will begin soon and we hope to relocate to the new site by the end of February 2026.

CVOEO Immigration Information Sessions

CVOEO hosts in-person immigration information sessions for invited community leaders, facilitated by local immigration attorney Kurt Mehta. The next session, “Family Reunification and Traveling Outside the U.S.,” is Wednesday, August 20, 6:00–8:00 p.m., with Q&A follow-ups on Friday, August 22 and Friday, August 29, 3:00–5:00 p.m., at CVOEO, 255 South Champlain St., Burlington. Sessions are in English with handouts in French, Spanish, Nepali, Somali, Swahili, Dari, Pashto, and Arabic, and attendance includes a $40 stipend for invited participants. The sessions are not recorded.

 Session 1: Interactions with ICE

• Wednesday, August 13 | 6:00–8:00 PM

Q&A Follow-up

• Friday, August 22 | 3:00–5:00 PM

Session 2: Family Reunification & Traveling Outside the U.S.

• Wednesday, August 20 | 6:00–8:00 PM

Q&A Follow-up

• Friday, August 29 | 3:00–5:00 PM

Language Access: The sessions are facilitated in English. Handouts will be available in: French, Spanish, Nepali, Somali, Swahili, Dari, Pashto, and Arabic.

Housing Advocacy Program (HAP) Partnerships
CVOEO’s HAP education team continues to network with partners around the state. The team met with the financial coaches from all the Community Action Agencies to share information about the Preferred Renters Certificate (PRC) program. They discussed the program, the referral process for accessing financial coaching services for PRC participants outside of CVOEO’s catchment area, and general expectations from all parties. Since that meeting, we have had workshop participants referred to by other Community Action Agencies. The participants are eager to participate in the workshops and receive financial coaching and PRC. We are grateful for the support of partners sharing our services more widely around the state.

Mobile Home Program (MHP) Leadership Training

The MHP Team is preparing for a series of leadership training courses, starting with a Know Your Rights training next week, and more than a dozen mobile home residents from around the state have signed up. This new group is enthusiastic about working together to advocate on behalf of park residents statewide.