Cold weather / winter emergency housing

Emergency housing law: Act 27

The current law for emergency housing is called Act 27. Act 27 is limited to Fiscal Year 2026 (July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026).

Act 27 says that everyone gets 80 nights of emergency housing if they are eligible. This means that every eligible household has 80 nights of emergency housing to use between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.

There are exceptions for winter weather.

Winter weather conditions

From December 1, 2025, until March 31, 2026, the 80-day limit does not apply. This is important for two reasons:

• If you have used 80 days of emergency housing before December 1, 2025, you can still apply for emergency housing from December 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026.
• Any days in emergency housing from December 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026, will not count towards your 80 days under Act 27 for Fiscal Year 2026. 

Change to the room cap

Normally, the General Assistance Emergency Housing program has a cap of 1,100 motel rooms. This means if the State of Vermont is already paying for 1,100 motel rooms around Vermont, it cannot pay for any more.

However, from December 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026, the 1,100-room cap is lifted. This means the state can pay for as many participating motel rooms as are available.

It is important to know that there is still a “natural” cap to available motel rooms. We have more households experiencing homelessness in Vermont than available participating motel rooms. Once all of the participating motel rooms are full, the state will not issue any new vouchers.

Shelters and warming shelters

Some people will run out of the 80 days and have no shelter until winter weather conditions start on December 1, 2025. Others will not be able to access emergency housing from December 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, because the participating motel rooms are full.

If you need a place to stay, Vermont’s shelters and “warming shelters” may help: 

• Call 2-1-1 to find a shelter or warming shelter near you.
• See our list of shelters and warming shelters around Vermont.
• A seasonal shelter at Champlain Place in Burlington will have 26 beds available starting November 10, 2025.
• Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) will have an Emergency Cold Weather Shelter at the Miller Center in the New North End of Burlington.