From the Desk of Paul Dragon, 9/18/26

UVM Public Safety Panel: Connecting Compassion, Safety, and Stability

Last week, I joined Burlington Chief of Police Shawn Burke and Public Safety Commissioner Jen Morrison on a panel organized by the UVM campus police chief for University of Vermont President and the university’s leadership team. The discussion focused on public safety, public health, and public disorder challenges in Burlington, especially where those issues intersect with homelessness. I emphasized that CVOEO approaches these challenges through both a human and community lens: people living outside or staying in shelters are our neighbors and deserve compassion, dignity, and access to effective services; residents, businesses, visitors, neighborhoods, and institutions such as UVM also need safe, welcoming, and functional public spaces. Those priorities are not in conflict—they depend on one another.

The challenges we see downtown and across Burlington are symptoms of deeper system failures, including a severe housing shortage, growing behavioral health needs, substance use disorders, trauma, poverty, chronic health issues, and limited capacity across the continuum of care. Too many people cycle between public spaces, shelters, emergency departments, and law enforcement encounters without a clear pathway to stability. Our work remains focused on building stronger pathways from crisis to shelter, treatment, recovery supports, services, and ultimately housing.

I also shared that CVOEO has opened several shelters over the past five years, including two family shelters and one of Vermont’s two recovery shelters. Continued investment is needed in prevention, diversion, emergency shelter, crisis stabilization, treatment, recovery housing, permanent supportive housing, and affordable housing so we can improve outcomes for individuals while creating a safer, healthier community for everyone.

Manufactured Home Program Legislative Initiative

CVOEO is advancing a proposed legislative initiative, supported by the Vermont Community Partnership, to fund a statewide Manufactured Home Program response network for the 2026/2027 legislative session. The proposal requests funding to add five mobile home resident support positions: one additional position at CVOEO and four regional positions housed with the other community action agencies. This would create statewide coverage for mobile/manufactured home residents and ensure every region has direct assistance, organizing support, emergency response capacity, and a connection to local wraparound services.

As proposed, the initiative would strengthen resident navigation, technical assistance, and crisis response for mobile home park communities facing infrastructure failures, park emergencies, displacement risks, natural disasters, and other housing stability challenges. It also positions the community action network to connect residents quickly to services such as emergency heating repair, crisis fuel, weatherization, food access, benefit assistance, Head Start, and financial coaching. Mobile/manufactured homes remain a critical part of Vermont’s affordable housing stock, yet CVOEO’s current statewide Mobile Home Program is staffed by only two full-time employees. The proposed investment would pair CVOEO’s statewide expertise with the local reach of Vermont’s community action agencies, creating a coordinated response model that helps preserve affordable housing and prevent homelessness.

Housing Stability and Eviction Prevention

CVOEO and the Community Action network are shaping a 2027 legislative proposal to strengthen housing stability and prevent avoidable evictions. The proposal focuses on practical upstream supports for tenants and landlords, using the existing Community Action infrastructure as the statewide delivery system.

• Legislative concept: fund landlord liaison and intensive housing support capacity at each Community Action Agency to resolve issues earlier and preserve tenancies when possible.
• Prevention tools: expand renter education, financial coaching, landlord education, and flexible assistance for arrears, deposits, payment plans, and move-in costs.
• Policy frame: pair service investments with prevention-first principles, fair housing protections, just cause eviction, a fair and efficient eviction process, and adequate court capacity.
• Data need: recommend a statewide eviction study to establish baseline information on filings, timelines, outcomes, costs, and opportunities for prevention.

Addison Community Action: Advancing Key Initiatives

Over the past two weeks, Addison Community Action (ACA) continued to advance several key initiatives. Planning for the launch of Laundry Love is nearing completion, with a strong volunteer team in place and final logistics being worked out, including funding mechanisms and payment options for detergent purchases. The team also continues to explore opportunities to strengthen housing case management services through Vermont Homelessness Response Continuum funding, which is currently available through June 2027.

ACA also hosted senior leaders from the Vermont Department of Taxes for a productive discussion about the VITA program and CVOEO’s tax assistance services, creating an opportunity to increase visibility for our work through local media coverage. 

Housing Advocacy Program: Critical Support for Vermonters

The Housing Advocacy Program continued to provide critical support to Vermonters across multiple service areas during the shortened Labor Day week. Fair Housing staff delivered and prepared a range of educational and outreach activities, including a Know Your Rights training and upcoming presentations at statewide conferences. The HOME Voucher Program currently manages 575 ongoing cases, while Vermont Tenants maintained strong responsiveness to renters, nearly eliminating its voicemail and email backlog despite handling dozens of housing-related inquiries on issues ranging from rental agreements and habitability to landlord access and security deposits.

The Mobile Home Program remained focused on emergency repairs and resident advocacy, managing a significant caseload while helping residents navigate repair needs and funding uncertainties. Staff also participated in statewide asylum seeker network activities, leadership development opportunities, and cross-program collaboration efforts that continue to strengthen HAP’s impact across Vermont.

Feeding Champlain Valley: Celebrating Success in Fighting Hunger

Feeding Champlain Valley celebrated volunteers and continued to show strong impact across the region. In August, the team distributed nearly 64,000 pounds of food, received almost 628 volunteer hours across three counties, promoted Vermont’s Week of Gleaning on WCAX, and used donated local produce to support community meals and a CVOEO housing workshop.