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Efforts by the state to cut down on its motel voucher program for the homeless are starting to show success. After spending more than $4 million on the program in 2013, the state shifted away from pouring money into motels, and instead tried to invest in community-run shelters.

In fiscal year 2016 the state spent about $3 million on emergency housing.

That's more than $1 million less than the previous year.

"We are very pleased with the initial results from this new approach that we're using," says Sean Brown, deputy commissioner with the Department of Children and Families. "We're seeing a decrease in the utilization of motels. These alternatives are up and running and they're serving people in a better model. And also we've been able to stay within our budget constraints which has been a struggle in the last couple of years with the motel usage just continuing to grow."

The Agency of Human Resources issues a report every year on its general assistance emergency housing program.

And according to the most recent report, last year, for the first time in many years, the amount spent on motels went down.

Brown says the mild winter may have played a role in reducing the motel voucher program.

Supporting local shelters makes it easier for district human service offices to serve the population and Brown says the state is doubling down on its strategy.

After spending about $750,000 on community-based alternatives last year, Brown says the state will have $1.5 million this year to expand the program.

"That's the next step for us, continuing to build upon the success and the initiatives we already have started, and expanding those to communities that we weren't able to implement any last year," Brown says. "And it really truly is an individualized approach in each community. What is needed in Rutland is not what's needed in Morrisville. And what might be needed in Brattleboro is not what's needed in Newport."

Last winter, the state supported nine warming shelters around the state. But Brown says there are still real challenges in some communities.

In Rutland, supporters weren't able to get a shelter opened last winter, and the city was the only community that saw an increase in its motel voucher use.

The state spent almost $1 million in Rutland to house the homeless last year, an almost 20 percent increase.

And in Brattleboro the local homelessness support group lost the shelter location it's had for nine years, and the busy program currently doesn't have a new site.

"We're rapidly approaching when we need to start looking at Plan B," says Josh Davis, director of which works with the state to run an emergency winter shelter in Brattleboro. "And so we're doing everything we can in this community to get the systems set up so when the cold weather hits we're prepared to deal with the fallout of that."

Groundworks had an option to buy a building for its shelter, but the financing fell through.

And so Davis says the group is working hard to secure a new site to prevent too many people from ending up in motels this winter.

"The cheapest option, and what makes the most sense for people, is housing," says Davis. "I'm happy that we have the motel program as a safety net, But in terms of its popularity, I think there are much better things we can do, and we are seeing examples of that throughout the state of Vermont with this alternative program."

Seventy-three new beds were opened last year using the state grants aimed at increasing capacity for emergency housing.

The state is expected to announce the next round of grants for the community-based alternatives to the motel voucher program in the next few weeks.