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(cross-posted from Vermont Watch, here)

*Updated 2x* (featuring updates with additional information, below the fold, see *Update 1 & 2*)

Are you concerned about families or individuals who are living homeless or at risk of becoming homeless within Vermont?

Are you among those who are seriously committed to doing what it takes to end homelessness across the state?

Are you someone who is currently living homeless, at risk of becoming homeless or formerly have lived homeless?

If the answers to one or more of the above questions is in the affirmative (i.e., true), join others at the upcoming Governor’s Housing the Homeless Summit to discuss concrete solutions designed to help people living homeless move to stable as well as permanent housing.

Six key issues were identified and organized work groups have developed proposals to address each one. At the Summit, these proposals will be presented for discussion and changes, resulting in recommendations to Governor Peter Shumlin’s administration.

The Summit is open to the public and will be held at the Vermont State House in Montpelier on Tuesday, June 7th from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

To help organize the day and, although it is not necessary in order to attend the event, those interested in attending are asked to respond to Diane Nealy or by phone at (802) 241-2244 (subject: Governor’s Housing the Homeless Summit).

To obtain updated versions of the six work group proposals prior to the Summit, make a request to the above contact person as well.

*Update 1*: Below via copy and paste method from an attachment is a second notice concerning the Governor’s Housing the Homeless Summit being held at the Vermont State House on June 7th. Although RSVP’s are requested to help in planning ahead for the event, including for those who plan to take lunch at the state house cafeteria, the event is open to the public and people are welcome to attend without providing an RSVP. On Tuesday it was learned that thus far 110 people have already provided an RSVP of their intention to attend the summit.

From the Vermont Agency of Human Services (VT AHS):

Governor’s Summit on Housing for the Homeless

SECOND NOTICE

We are sending this second notice about the Governor’s Summit for four reasons:

1. To remind you that lunch will not be provided at the Summit. If you would like to purchase lunch in the statehouse cafeteria, please rsvp to Diane Nealy at diane.nealy@ahs.state.vt.us to ensure the cafeteria will be prepared to handle the number of requests. Please RSVP by May 30th. You may bring your own lunch or visit one of the nearby restaurants.

2. Six proposals for changes in how we address homelessness will be presented at the Summit. Each attendee will have the opportunity to participate in work sessions on two of the six proposals. We will ask that when you register that morning to select which two sessions you would prefer to attend so we can use the larger rooms in the statehouse for the work sessions with the highest expected attendance.

The workgroups that will be presenting their proposals are:

• Security Deposit Guarantee/Risk Pool

• State-Subsidized Rental Subsidies

• Specialized Housing Options

• Increasing Permanent Housing Options

• AHS Housing Policy

• Access: Barriers to Housing

We are posting the proposals on the AHS Website. The proposals that are being posted were the most recent as of May 9th and are subject to change. We will have the final versions posted by the time of the summit.

3. The Summit is intended to address major concerns that impact Vermont’s ability to successfully address homelessness, and evaluate new approaches in how we do business. We recognize that there are other discussions that must happen soon about the best use of state funds appropriated to combat homelessness, but those discussions will happen on a separate track and will not be addressed at the Summit.

4. Following is the agenda so far:

9:00 – 9:30 – opening remarks, and introduction to the day, with remarks by Governor Peter Shumlin

9:30 – 10:40 presentation of three of the six proposals emanating from the six work groups

10:40- 11:00 break

11:00 – 12:00 presentations of the other three proposals

While the intent is not to take questions during the presentations, we will ask participants to write questions that can be shared during the afternoon sessions.

12:00 – 1:00 lunch on your own

1:00 – 1:50 first work session, in which participants can discuss and comment on the proposals.

2:00 – 2:50 second work session

3:00 – 4:00 Governor Shumlin joins us to hear the results of the work groups discussions and

give us a charge for next steps

Thanks and we look forward to seeing you at the Summit.

*Update 2*: The work group proposals for the upcoming Governor’s Housing the Homeless Summit can be found on the AHS Website, here.

The ones posted are current as of May 9th. It is my understanding that, either by the end of the month or just shortly prior to the Summit being held, final versions will be posted.