RUTLAND, Vt. (WCAX) – The four state-run emergency shelters that opened across Vermont last week are now closed.
Officials set up the shelters last week in state-owned buildings in Burlington, Berlin, Brattleboro, and Rutland following the seasonal end of DCF’s wintertime adverse weather policy that threatened to kick upwards of 500 people out of the hotel-motel program.
The Scott administration moved fast to set up the shelters. The Burlington shelter saw the most use with about 40 people at its peak this week. In Rutland, the city pushed, back saying the ASA Bloomer Building was not zoned for that purpose. City officials sent a letter to state leaders saying they could impose a fine of up to $200 a day.
“We’re gonna need temporary shelters in Rutland. Where those are and how they get turned up is really important. Doing something so last minute, you know, luckily we had the space, luckily there weren’t that many people that had to use it. But being able to have last-minute overnight shelters with space available is something we need to do and we need to plan for,” said Rutland Mayor Mike Doenges.
The Rutland shelter saw a peak of only five people.
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