How Burlington Forward is changing

This update was sent September 14, 2026.

On Monday, the Burlington City Council provided an important update on Burlington Forward. A lot has changed since the resolution was first introduced.

Over the past several weeks, Council committees have incorporated input from residents, service providers, City staff, advocates, and people directly affected by these issues.

The most recent draft adds clearer protections for dignity and due process, more safeguards around encampment responses, a stronger focus on equity and public participation, more training requirements, and more explicit recognition of children and families.

The work is not finished. The REIB Committee called for earlier community, legal, and budget review. Parks advocated for an encampment policy that accounts for staffing and available shelter and housing. Public Safety members did not reach agreement on the proposed response team or the structure of embedded services.

Burlington needs to support people in crisis and respond consistently when behavior makes public spaces unsafe or unusable.

See what changed: https://www.buildingburlingtonsfuture.org/burlingtonforward

Thank you for staying engaged. We will continue to share updates as the resolution moves through the City Council process.

Sam