Fox 44's nightly newscast interviewed VHFA's Leslie Black-Plumeau, Research and Communications Coordinator, about the new website: Vermont Rental Housing Codes.
Housing in the news
New rental codes website covered by WCAX
By: Leslie Black-Plumeau
WCAX News covered Vermont's new rental codes website today. The Rental Housing Codes website provides guidance on the health and safety standards that existing residential rental housing must meet.
CHT shares some good housing news
By: VHFA
Emily Higgin's letter to the editor published by the Burlington Free Press yesterday caught our eye.
Emily is the Director of Homeownership for Champlain Housing Trust. Here's what she had to say:
I read with interest the article in the June 5 paper about the housing market ("Vermont's housing market stuck in a holding pattern"). There is a lot of wariness about homeownership these days, but I wanted to share some good news for those still hoping to purchase a home of their own.
Affordable housing adds to vitality of St. Albans
By: VHFA
We couldn't help but notice reference to a couple VHFA housing projects in this weekend's Burlington Free Press story exploring St. Alban's new Census numbers.
The article talks about the 1880s Willard Mill Apartments building (pictured), converted from a brownfield site to 27 units of mostly affordable housing with VHFA's assistance in 2008.
Homelessness on Channel 3
By: VHFA
WCAX-TV Channel 3 aired a story last week about the challenges Vermont's homeless encounter when seeking help.
HUD Deputy Secretary Sims resigns
By: VHFA
U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development Deputy Secretary Ron Sims is stepping down from his post at the end of next month.
Sims, who has been HUD's second-in-charge since May 2009, says he's leaving to spend more time with his family in Seattle.
Thayer Commons in Free Press
By: VHFA
The ground breaking at Thayer Commons in Burlington's New North End yesterday was the subject of an article in today's Burlington Free Press.
The article cites Housing Vermont's Nancy Owens with a figure of about $760 for a two-bedroom rental in the facility, including heat and water, compared with a market rate of about $1,200.
Homelessness summit in Times Argus
By: VHFA
This past Tuesday's Governor's Summit on Housing the Homeless was written up in the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus.
Read the article online (subscription required).
Like the other press we've seen about the event ("Homelessness summit draws crowd"), the Argus focuses on advocates' call for prevention of homelessness through assistance with delinquent mortgage payments and rent.
Proposed minimum downpayment rule debated
By: VHFA
Proposed mortgage lending rules being considered by federal regulators are drawing fire from a variety of players in the housing industry.
At the heart of the debate is a rule that would require borrowers submit a 20 percent downpayment to purchase a home. Intended to help prevent the type of defaults that contributed to the mortgage crisis a few years ago, critics say the rules would stifle the economic recovery and shutout many credit-worthy buyers or, at least, increase their costs through higher interest rates when they can't meet the proposed requirement.