This commentary is by Addie Lentzner, a high school student who lives in Bennington.
The Bennington County Coalition for the Homeless is totally full. Virtually every motel room in the county is filled to capacity with people experiencing homelessness through Vermont’s General Assistance Motel Program, which provides vouchers to house people in need.
As of current estimates, 164 motel rooms are being utilized by Bennington residents, including dozens of children. And there are still people who don’t have shelter this winter.
The GA Motel Program transitions on March 1, 2022 — when people will be pushed back onto the street. With no other option, and with the shelter packed to the gills, where will they go?
If Bennington wants to avert the crisis of both adults and children sleeping outside, it’s time to act now. Last week, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger announced a 10-point plan to end homelessness. I propose that Bennington do the same and introduce its own plan ASAP.
Bennington has ample resources to address homelessness. We just need the political will and collective compassion to do the work. The next homeless person might be your brother or sister or cousin.
Bennington Town Hall provided a list of dozens of open lots that can be zoned into tiny homes, much like what is happening in Newfane, where residents just proposed a new tiny home community to address the affordable housing shortage.
Around town, properties stand open and up for sale; the old Friendly’s building or the Knotty Pine Motel would all make great affordable or transitional housing.
Aside from housing, Bennington has all of the social services to support people in moving past homelessness. We have the infrastructure here and millions of dollars in federal Covid money is pouring in — we just need to put our heads together to get people housed.
As we enter the New Year, I hope Bennington can make a commitment to serve its community members who are most vulnerable. We must act now, before March 1 arrives with no answers. At that point, encampments become the only solution.
We must act before that moment arrives. Let’s make Bennington a model to the state and nation in addressing homelessness.
