Fair housing

This article was written by VHFA Spring Housing Fellow Christina Cramer

April is Fair Housing Month, an opportunity to celebrate the anniversary of the passage of the 1968 Federal Fair Housing Act, while also increasing our efforts to end housing discrimination, expand housing opportunity and raise awareness of housing rights.

The Fair Housing Project of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) and statewide partners are hosting a number of events throughout the month. These include: 

Champlain Housing Trust (CHT) is now accepting applications for the Vermont Farmworker Housing Repair Loan Program. The program allows farm owners to make repairs and improvements to their farmworker housing to help improve the health and welfare of the farm workforce. The application deadline is April 29.

This article was written by VHFA Spring Housing Fellow Christina Cramer

The Vermont Housing & Conservation Board updated and re-issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) last week regarding the design and launch of a statewide initiative to address racial justice and equity in housing. The initiative will be guided by a steering committee comprised of representatives from NeighborWorks Alliance of Vermont, NeighborWorks America, VHFA, and other to-be-identified stakeholders.

The Fair Housing Project of CVOEO and the Vermont Human Rights Commission are conducting a survey on the prevalence of housing discrimination in Vermont. The results will be used to design better strategies to ensure fair and equitable housing choice for everyone. The survey deadline is July 30, 2021.

The Vermont Housing & Conservation Board issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) this week regarding the design and launch of a statewide initiative to address racial justice and equity in housing.

Vermont learned last month that its population grew by a slim 2.8% between 2010 and 2020, less than the national average of 7.4%. But by planning to invest millions in American Rescue Plan Act funds in homes and neighborhoods, Vermont policy makers have embraced the opportunity presented by this decade to accelerate community and economic vibrancy.

Fair Housing Month is an opportunity to explore ways to promote housing opportunity throughout the year. Communities play important role to play in fair housing because many local practices or policies that seem outwardly reasonable can promote housing discrimination or segregation.

Fair Housing Month continues, with many events still to come through the Fair Housing Project of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO). VHFA has compiled a reading list of resources to learn more about how housing discrimination continues to impact Vermonters and our nation as a whole. 

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