Homeless Banned From Vermont Bus Shelter

Vermont advocates for the homeless have banned them from using a new bus shelter but won't explain why.

In Burlington, the state's largest city, the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity has posted the bus shelter in front of a homeless motel as off limits.

The agency's executive director, Paul Dragon, has refused to return messages seeking an explanation.

Ironically Dragon just posted on the agency's website that "we believe in collaboration and transparency to keep everyone informed and connected."

Apparently not true.

Nakuma Palczewski, president of the agency's board, is also ignoring messages from the media.

"Collaboration and transparency?"

The bus-shelter condemnation notices were recently posted on the bus shelter in front of Champlain Place on Shelburne Road, a former motel that the agency recently converted into a homeless center.

Officials claiming to work for the homeless need to explain why they are not allowing homeless people to use that brand-new shelter to wait for the bus.

The postings claim the shelter is "out of commission and prohibited from being used."

Why is it out of commission, who authorized it to be prohibited from use and who posted it as such?

From all appearances the shelter is in solid structural shape, suggesting there is no logical reason why people can't use it.

We've also sent emails to Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak and City Council President Ben Traverse.

So far no responses whatsoever.