As Vermonters observed Homelessness Awareness Day on May 6, the urgency of our state’s housing crisis has never been clearer. More than 4,971 individuals, including more than 1,105 children, experience homelessness nightly in Vermont — a number that is an undercount, as it reflects only those who engaged with our state’s coordinated entry system. In Orange/Windsor North, the district in which the Upper Valley Haven is the lead agency focused on homelessness, at least 333 of our neighbors are homeless, including 73 children.

The root cause of this crisis is a severe shortage of affordable housing and the rising gap between housing costs and income.

To address this crisis, we urge our state leaders to take immediate action in this year’s budget:

1. Expand affordable housing production: Invest $25 million in the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board to continue the development of affordable housing units.

2. Invest in homelessness prevention: Allocate $3.75 million to fund 33 critical case-management positions that, without state action, will go away in June when federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program dollars run out, ensuring continued support for individuals at risk of homelessness.

3. Ensure emergency shelter: Provide $44.6 million to maintain the General Assistance Emergency Housing Program for our most vulnerable neighbors, including seniors and families with children. Without these funds, our state’s solution will be to send seniors and families with children into the streets and woods to live.

Here at the Upper Valley Haven, we work every day to ensure that people have shelter and support their efforts to find permanent housing and keep the housing they have. With the financial support of Vermont and the Upper Valley community our family and adult shelters are full, which is probably not surprising. The shelter we operated in Lebanon this winter with support from the city, Vermont and private gifts was also full every night and provided a safe place to sleep for 73 individuals while it was open. And later this month we will hold a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction of a new 20-bed low barrier shelter and resource center that will focus on addressing barriers to housing. Thanks to many donors from the Upper Valley, this building will open in 2026.

Finally, it’s important to know that when there is available and affordable housing, homelessness can be temporary. Last year, the Haven helped 95 Upper Valley households, including individuals, couples and families, find new homes, in part due to the expansion of affordable housing developed by our partner, Twin Pines Housing. We helped more than 70 households avoid eviction and remain housed.

Homelessness is not inevitable; it is a crisis we can solve. By investing in affordable housing and support services like those provided by the Haven, we can ensure that all Vermonters have a safe and appropriate place to call home.

Michael Redmond is executive director of the Upper Valley Haven in White River Junction.