Help for Your Legal Problem
Emergency housing in a hotel or motel
The Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) manages the emergency housing hotel / motel program. If you are experiencing homelessness, call DCF’s Economic Services Division at 1-800-479-6151. It is better to call first thing in the morning if you can. If it is after hours or on the weekend, call 2-1-1.
Even if you are eligible for emergency housing, there may not be a motel or hotel room available in your area. DCF posts a list of availability every day on their website. Even if this chart says there is nothing available in your area, you should call the Economic Services Division. Ask if something has become available or if they can place you in another region.
If you have a disability or health condition that makes it hard for you to access this program or follow its rules, you should ask for an accommodation. If your request is denied, fill out our form and we will call you back. You can also call us at 1-800-889-2047. Be sure to give us some details about your problem. Give us as many details as possible about how to reach you. Your information will be sent to Legal Services Vermont, which screens requests for help for both Vermont Legal Aid and Legal Services Vermont.
New rules started on July 1, 2024
On July 1, 2024, new emergency housing rules went into effect. You are eligible for up to 80 days in a motel in a 365-day period if you or a household member:
- is 65 or older
- has a disability (receives SSI or SSDI, or submits a verification form signed by a health care provider)
- is 19 or younger
- is pregnant
- has experienced the death of a spouse, domestic partner, or minor child that caused the household to lose its housing
- has experienced a natural disaster
- is under a court-ordered eviction or constructive eviction due to circumstances over which the household has no control
- is experiencing domestic violence or other dangerous or life-threatening violent conditions that caused the household to lose its housing.
You will have to pay 30% of your monthly income toward your motel room cost each month. You will also have to show that you have no available resources and no other housing options.
One of the ways to qualify for emergency housing is if you have a disability or serious medical condition. If so, you will need to ask a health care provider to fill out this form to give to DCF. The form asks if you have a disability or health condition that makes being unsheltered particularly dangerous to your health and welfare. You should be given up to four days of “provisional housing” in a motel while you work on verifications, including this form.
Starting on September 15, 2024, DCF will cap the number of motel rooms in the emergency housing program. We believe this means that some eligible households will be turned away. DCF has not yet sent out rules about how this will work.
A period of winter emergency housing (what used to be called Adverse Weather Conditions) will run from December 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. This period does not count toward your 80 days in a 365-day period. If you used your 80 days before December 1, you will be eligible for a motel voucher during this time. There will not be a cap on motel rooms during this period.
This year, winter emergency housing will only be available to you if you or a member of your household is in one or more of the categories listed above. From December 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, DCF is supposed to provide other shelter options to people without a place to stay who are not in one of these categories.
We recommend that you ask DCF to give you notices of any denial or termination or approval – by hand, by email, or by mail. This can help you keep track of how many days you have left.
If you think you should be eligible for emergency housing and have been kicked out or denied, fill out our form and we will call you back. You can also call us at 1-800-889-2047. Be sure to give us some details about your problem. Give us as many details as possible about how to reach you. Your information will be sent to Legal Services Vermont, which screens requests for help for both Vermont Legal Aid and Legal Services Vermont. We will try to get back to you in the same day.
Was your security deposit withheld?
Were you in the Transitional Housing Program in 2023 with an occupancy agreement with the motel you were staying in? You may have had some or all of your security deposit withheld incorrectly when you moved out. These security deposits were paid to the motels on your behalf by the Vermont Department of Children and Families (DCF) to protect against damage or provide a payment at time of move out. A settlement has been reached with the owner of the following motels: Cortina Inn (Rutland); EconoLodge (Montpelier); Hilltop Inn (Berlin); Pine Tree Lodge (Rutland), and Quality Inn (Brattleboro). If you stayed in one of these motels during 2023, you may be entitled to the return of some or all of your security deposit. Learn more about filing a claim.
Where to find help
If you think you should be eligible for emergency housing and have been kicked out or denied, fill out our form and we will call you back. You can also call us at 1-800-889-2047. Be sure to give us some details about your problem. Give us as many details as possible about how to reach you. Your information will be sent to Legal Services Vermont, which screens requests for help for both Vermont Legal Aid and Legal Services Vermont. We will try to get back to you in the same day.
We recommend contacting Community Action agencies or calling 211 to see if your community has other housing options.
More information: See our page with resources for people who are homeless.