HOTEL VOUCHERS ---and the Need for WRAP-AROUND SERVICES & SUPPORT

​A Cautionary Tale from Vermont and a Solution in Canada

​Will Vermont hotels accept state vouchers for homeless?

​Vancouver Intensive Supervision Unit --- Finding the Person within the Illness

At 1:40 :  "What's innovative about VISU is our more grassroots approach to working with the community.

"We offer a guarantee to our community partners that if they work with our clients, if they take them into their buildings to house them, if there ever is a problem . . . they can call us and we will be immediately responsive."

The Vancouver Intensive Supervision Unit is connected with the Court System there --- when we're talking about people who are Homeless something like 24/7 Housing Support Unit would be more appropriate.   ​

​Nov. 19, 2021

​RUTLAND, Vt. (WCAX) - Hundreds of homeless people are now eligible for 100 days of shelter in Vermont hotels under the state’s newly expanded emergency housing program, but can they get a room?

Under pressure from advocates -- and extended help from FEMA -- the state announced last week it would open the doors of its emergency hotel program but the state says there are at least six times more people in need of help than before the pandemic and at least some of the hotels that opened their doors last year aren’t willing to do so now.

Video on social media shows the condition of the Holiday Inn in Rutland as the hotel was cleaning up from its participation in the state’s homeless hotel program.

Staff at the hotel say rooms sustained serious damage during the months the hotels were taking state vouchers that paid for homeless people to live there.

Renovations are also underway at the Quality Inn in Rutland. The owner of both hotels said they will not be accepting vouchers at this time and are still working on a plan by next month.