On Monday, Aug. 4, 64,000 Vermonters relying on food assistance programs had their personal data, including names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and addresses, shared with the federal government, according to an Aug. 5 press release from End Homelessness Vermont.
“This is irreversible and untenable harm. We can not allow things like this to happen in Vermont,” stated Executive Director Brenda Siegel in the press release.
The intentional data breach by Gov. Phil Scott came as a result of an executive order signed March 20 allowing agencies unfettered access to comprehensive data from all state programs that receive federal funding. The U.S. Department of Agriculture then mandated states to share the information of anyone who had received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits in the last 5 years, according to Vermont Public.
SNAP, known in Vermont as 3SquaresVT, served about 66,500 Vermont residents during the 2024 fiscal year, or approximately 10.3% of the state population. Most of those included in the data breach were people being helped by End Homelessness Vermont.
“This act makes it feel to me and our clients like we will only ever be seen in the light of our poverty,” said Shelby LeBarron, EHVT staff member. “It makes it difficult to trust that personal information we give the state will be kept private.”
On July 25, 21 states, excluding Vermont, filed a lawsuit against the USDA arguing that the USDA’s data collection plan is unconstitutional, violates federal privacy laws and USDA’s own authority, according to NPR.
About 5 in every 1,000 people experienced homelessness in Vermont in 2024, which was a recorded jump in the number of people living unsheltered from a year earlier.
Vermont treasurer Mike Pieciak was let down by both the Trump administration’s decision to request the information, as well as Vermont’s decision to turn it over, he said in an Aug. 5 press release to the Cynic.
“Vermont elected leaders must stand up to protect the most vulnerable,” Pieciak said. “Our office is entrusted with sensitive data from tens of thousands of Vermonters, and we will take every measure to protect their privacy from the Trump administration in Washington.”
