Vermont
Lawmakers take up stopgap funding for Section 8 housing vouchers – VTDigger
This story, by Report for America corps member Carly Berlin, was produced through a partnership between VTDigger and Vermont Public.
With federal funds dwindling for a key housing assistance program, Vermont lawmakers are looking at using state money to slow the loss of vouchers that help thousands of Vermonters cover rent.
Legislators have said they want to earmark $5 million in a mid-year spending package to soften the blow of funding reductions to the Section 8 program. The bill has plenty more hurdles to clear, but a key housing panel registered its support for the funds on Thursday after local public housing authorities have spent months crying for help.
READ MORE
Still, the earmark falls far short of the $18 million housing authority leaders had originally bid for last fall, an amount that would have maxed out Vermont’s voucher ceiling set by the feds and boosted the number of vouchers in rotation.
“What we’re trying to do with this one-time, strategic intervention is to…slow the decrease in the number of vouchers in this calendar year as much as possible,” said Rep. Marc Mihaly, D-Calais, who chairs the House General and Housing Committee.
As Vermont faces steep housing costs and persistently high levels of homelessness, federal housing vouchers play a crucial role in sustaining housing for low-income people who can’t afford market-rate rents. Voucher recipients pay a third of their income toward rent; a local agency administering the federal program pays for the rest. The vouchers offer one of the few avenues out of homelessness for the thousands of Vermonters sleeping in shelters, motels and outdoors.
But over the last year, local housing authorities in Vermont have seen reductions in funding from Congress. That has led many of the nine local authorities to stop issuing new vouchers off their lengthy waiting lists, rescind vouchers from people looking for an apartment to use them, and shelve vouchers when tenants have died or moved out. The state lost hundreds of housing vouchers in 2025 through attrition.
Still, many of the nine Vermont housing authorities are entering 2026 in a budget shortfall which they don’t expect to ease anytime soon. Berk is now worried VSHA might need to take the extraordinary step of withdrawing vouchers from people currently using them to help pay their rent if the state does not intervene.
Draft bills in Congress would result in the loss of roughly 300 to 600 more vouchers in Vermont – or $3.6 million to $7.2 million – according to Berk.
“Preserving housing assistance and keeping Vermont families stably housed has to be a priority,” Berk told lawmakers Thursday.
The federal government bases future years’ Section 8 voucher funding on past years’ spending by local housing authorities. That means that as Vermont authorities shrink their voucher rolls, they can expect to receive less money in the future even if need remains great, leading to what Berk has called a “downward spiral” in the number of vouchers available to Vermont renters.
The $5 million in state aid is meant to halt that spiral, at least for a year: It would allow Vermont housing authorities to slow down the erosion in the number of vouchers available to Vermont renters and ensure the state gets more federal money in the coming years.
“It means that we will always get a greater share of whatever [Congress chooses] to give us [in] future years,” Mihaly said.
Rep. Robin Scheu, D-Middlebury, chair of the powerful budget-writing panel in the House, said Friday morning that her committee is looking at the funding ask “very seriously.”
“If the Section 8 voucher goes away, these people will not be able to afford to pay full market value, and if they can’t pay, then they don’t have a place to live,” Scheu said.
The stopgap funding would help local housing authorities offset funding shortfalls and prevent the displacement of families, according to Berk.
The earlier public housing authorities can receive the funding, the more vouchers they can save this calendar year, Mihaly said – hence, lawmakers’ attempt to earmark the funds as part of the mid-year spending bill typically passed in March.
But Republican Gov. Phil Scott’s administration has signaled it wants to hold off and consider the ask as part of the budget for fiscal year 2027, which begins in July.
“[The governor] believes that in the face of federal uncertainty, we should not be appropriating funds without first understanding the full budget picture and weighing all priorities before making those decisions,” said Amanda Wheeler, Scott’s press secretary.
The House Committee on Appropriations is expected to hash out its version of the mid-year spending package over the coming weeks, before the bill is sent to the House floor and then to the Senate.
How to see a reindeer in Vermont
Vermont Reindeer Farm in West Charleston is home to the only three reindeer, or caribou, living in the state. Here’s what it’s like to visit them.
Looking for ways to enjoy the rest of the cold New England winter?
While staying indoors often seems better than facing the cold, the region has lots of outdoor activities that brighten the winter season, including skiing, snow tubing and, of course, ice skating. From Burlington to Stratton, Vermont has plenty of indoor and outdoor ice rinks, many of which offer lessons, concessions and special events in addition to ice skating.
Here are five places in Vermont where you can go ice skating this winter.
Spruce Peak Village Ice Rink
This outdoor ice rink is located in the heart of the village at Spruce Peak, a ski resort in Stowe formerly known as Stowe Mountain Lodge.
Guests can skate daily surrounded by the majestic ski slopes of the Green Mountains. On Friday nights, the Spruce Peak Village ice rink hosts glow skate parties with a light show, glow sticks and a live DJ. Skate rentals and lessons are also available for purchase.
When: Noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday or noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Where: Spruce Peak, 7412 Mountain Road, Stowe
Ice Haus Arena
Located up at Jay Peak Resort near the Canadian border, Ice Haus Arena is the newest ice-skating arena in the state. The indoor rink is complete with bleacher seating, a rental and repair shop, four locker rooms, a pro shop, a snack bar and of course, an NHL-sized rink where guests can participate in public skating or skating with sticks and pucks.
General admission to the rink is $6, with skate rentals available for $6, skate sharpening available for $7 and helmets available for $3.
When: Online schedule updated daily
Where: Jay Peak Resort, 830 Jay Peak Road, Jay
C. Douglas Cairns Recreation Arena
This indoor arena has not one, but two NHL-size ice rinks for hockey, public skating and stick and puck practices. Off the ice, Cairns Arena also offers a pro shop and a cafe with hot food, snacks and drinks.
Skating at Cairns costs $5 for adults or $3 for children and seniors, and skates are available to rent for an additional $5.
When: 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Thursday, with exceptions. Check the online schedule at cairnsarena.finnlyconnect.com..
Where: 600 Swift St., South Burlington
Mill House at Stratton Mountain Resort
Surrounded by the scenic Stratton Mountain Resort, Mill House Pond is the perfect outdoor spot for public ice skating or skating lessons.
Public skating costs $20, and bookings can be made online.
When: Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday or noon to 6 p.m. Thursday-Friday and Sunday-Monday
Where: Stratton Mountain Resort, 5 Village Lodge Road, Stratton Mountain
Riley Rink at Hunter Park
A large indoor sports facility, Northshore Civic Center has an Olympic-sized ice rink, along with a concession stand and retail shop. The rink offers public skating, stick and puck practice, hockey and skating lessons.
When: Check the online schedule for weekly updates
Where: 410 Hunter Park Road, Manchester Center
Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Vermont rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.
New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 375 in the week ending February 21, up from 357 the week before, the Labor Department said.
U.S. unemployment claims rose to 212,000 last week, up 4,000 claims from 208,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Rhode Island saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 132.0%. Michigan, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 49.9%.
USA TODAY Co. is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report.
The 2025-2026 Vermont high school winter season has begun. See below for scores, schedules and game details (statistical leaders, game notes) from basketball, hockey, gymnastics, wrestling, Nordic/Alpine skiing and other winter sports.
TO REPORT SCORES
Coaches or team representatives are asked to report results ASAP after games by emailing sports@burlingtonfreepress.com. Please submit with a name/contact number.
▶ Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.
▶ Contact Judith Altneu at JAltneu@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.
THURSDAY’S H.S. GAMES (REGULAR SEASON)
Boys basketball
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
Peoples at North Country, 6:30 p.m.
Northfield at Stowe
Hazen at U-32
Oxbow at BFA-Fairfax
Winooski at Middlebury
Watch Vermont high school games on NFHS Network
Mount Mansfield at South Burlington
Essex at St. Johnsbury
BFA-St. Albans at Colchester
Lamoille at Spaulding
Lyndon at Harwood
Williamstown at Twinfield/Cabot
Rice at Champlain Valley
Randolph at Montpelier
Lake Region at Thetford
(Subject to change)
How to Watch Virginia vs. Duke Basketball Game Online Without Cable
Man charged with shooting co-worker in Washington Heights
Wisconsin Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Feb. 27, 2026
As Mountaineers try to move forward from recent struggles, freshman sensation Dybantsa awaits – WV MetroNews
University Of Wyoming Budget Spared (For Now), Biz Council Reined In
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
ICE blasts Washington mayor over directive restricting immigration enforcement
Did the EU bypass Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s €90 billion loan?
How the federal government is painting immigrants as criminals on social media
Where Iran’s ballistic missiles can reach — and how close they are to the US
Has India’s influence in Afghanistan grown under the Taliban?
-
World2 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts2 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Montana1 week ago2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
-
Louisiana5 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Denver, CO2 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Technology7 days agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Technology7 days agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
Politics7 days agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT