Many Vermont households were displaced after July’s flooding and are in need of housing. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is seeking information from current rental/residential, multi-family property owners and managers in order to provide temporary housing to eligible FEMA applicants. FEMA’s Multi-family Lease and Repair (MLR) program is a form of temporary housing assistance to repair or make improvements to existing multi-family residential properties and offered as temporary housing to eligible households impacted by the flooding. The properties must be available for a term of no less than 18 months, with the option of a lease extension and able to accommodate many people in one location.
Disaster recovery
Business emergency program opening today can help Vermont landlords with flood recovery
The Vermont Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP) opening today can assist a variety of small businesses impacted by July flooding, including landlords. Landlords may receive assistance up to $20,000 for up to three properties. Properties with extensive damage may qualify for up to $100,000.
A webinar recording available here answers many questions pertaining to assistance for rental property damage.
Homeowner pandemic assistance program increases grant limit
The Vermont Homeowner Assistance Program (VHAP) has updated its program terms to allow homeowners that previously received grants from the program to apply again for additional assistance, and has increased the total amount available to households to $40,000.
Ways to get flood recovery help for your home
If you are one of the many Vermonters whose home was damaged by flooding earlier this month, public resources for temporary housing and home repair may already be available.
Homeowner pandemic assistance program closes June 12th
As previously announced, the Vermont Homeowner Assistance Program (VHAP) will no longer accept new applications after June 12, 2023. All new or currently pending applications must be submitted to the applicant portal on vermonthap.vhfa.org by 5:00 PM on Monday.
Homeowner pandemic assistance program announces program close date
Due to high demand and the second-highest rate of payments in the nation, the Vermont Homeowner Assistance Program (VHAP) will no longer accept new applications after Monday, June 12, 2023. All new or currently pending applications must be submitted to the applicant portal on vermonthap.vhfa.org by 5:00 PM on this date.
Half of homeowner pandemic assistance program funding awarded
The Vermont Homeowner Assistance Program (VHAP) has paid over $22.5 million in grants to assist homeowners impacted by the pandemic. This represents nearly 55% of total program funding available to homeowners.
Administered by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, VHAP launched in January, 2022 to assist homeowners who have faced economic hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program, funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act, provides grants of up to $30,000 per household towards overdue mortgage payments, utility bills, property taxes, and property association charges. Application assistance and counseling is available through local nonprofit partners.
Pandemic help for Vermont homeowners remains available
The Vermont Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP) will continue to provide federal grants into 2023 for overdue housing costs incurred by homeowners impacted by the pandemic. Since the program launched in January 2022, homeowners with delinquent mortgage, property tax, utility and property association fee bills have applied for approximately half of the $50 million federal funding award to Vermont.
Climate change raises risk of increasing inequities
The Urban Institute recently released an article about how an equity lens is essential to mitigating the effects of hotter summers that are expected in the future due to climate change. As our climate continues to rise, low-income neighborhoods and communities of color are much more likely to experience hotter summers and the effects that come with it, even compared to higher income neighborhoods in the same area. This, along with less access to air conditioning and cooler buildings, means that marginalized communities are most vulnerable to the health risks associated with climate change.
U.S. Treasury allows expanded use of stimulus funding for affordable housing
The U.S. Treasury Department recently announced new guidelines that will significantly increase Vermont’s ability to use pandemic recovery funding to directly support the development of affordable housing and reduce costs for Vermonters.