Report says Vermont homeless numbers a ‘humanitarian crisis’

Read the full article at wcax.com. Below is an excerpt.

Advocates for the homeless say Vermont is in the midst of a “humanitarian crisis” when it comes to the number of unhoused people statewide.

The 2025 Vermont State of Homelessness Report, released on Wednesday, shows record-breaking numbers of homeless residents and a system overwhelmed by demand.

As of June, the report found at least 4,588 Vermonters -- including more than 1,000 children and 269 seniors -- are currently experiencing homelessness. More than three-quarters of unhoused Vermonters have been without permanent housing for over 90 days, and nearly one-third have been unhoused for more than a year.

“What’s happening in our state right now is frankly horrifying. We are not doing enough to meet the needs of our community,” said Kim Anetsberger, with the Lamoille Community House.

Advocates say the numbers are driven by a complex mix of poverty, addiction, mental and physical health. That comes on top of a decades-long housing shortage and the winding down of the government-funded hotel-motel program.

“Homelessness is the consequence of systems that are not meeting people’s basic needs,” said Paul Dragon with the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity.

In communities across Vermont, shelter beds are full, and people wait months for subsidized housing. “This leads to visible human suffering and anguish in our communities,” said the city of Burlington’s Sarah Russell.