Bill > H0704

This bill expands and extends the Tenant Representation Pilot Program, administered by Vermont Legal Aid, to cover all of Vermont, not just Lamoille and Windsor counties, and pushes back the program's start date to November 1, 2024, with reporting deadlines extended to November 30, 2025, and November 30, 2026, for interim reports and July 31, 2027, for the final report. The program provides legal representation to eligible tenants facing eviction, defined as those whose household income is at or below 120 percent of the State area median income, or whose rent exceeds 30 percent of their income, or whose expenses surpass their income, and it aims to assess the impact of this representation on preventing evictions and homelessness. If Vermont Legal Aid has a conflict of interest, it can subcontract to Legal Services Vermont or private attorneys, and the Agency of Human Services and Vermont Legal Aid will update grant agreements to reflect these changes, with the act taking effect upon passage.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.704