Vermont is ending its pandemic-era motel voucher program, forcing hundreds of homeless residents to leave temporary accommodation. On Thursday, around 230 households will be affected by a new 80-day limit imposed by the state Legislature in July.

In the central Vermont area of the cities of Montpelier and Barre, around 100 to 140 families will be leaving motels this fall. The state estimates that about 1,000 households will be out of motels statewide, said Jen Armbrister, outreach case manager for the Good Samaritan Haven in Barre.

The biggest exodus — about 230 households — is expected on Thursday when they reach a new 80-day limit stay in the motel rooms that the Legislature imposed starting in July. Those affected include families,