VHFA News

By:
Leslie Black-Plumeau

Earlier this week, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Housing Commission released its vision for the future of housing policy in its report:  Housing America's Future: New Directions for National Policy.  The recommendations include replacing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with a government corporation to provide a limited catastrophic government guarantee, expanding the Housing Credit by 50 percent over current levels to increase housing supply, and targeting a reformed Housing Choice Voucher program to the most vulnerable households.

The report also recommends a more comprehensive focus on meeting the housing needs of our nation’s seniors that responds to their desire to age in place and recognizes the importance of integrating housing with health care and other services. Vermont’s statewide SASH (Support and Services at Home) program and Chittenden County-based Cathedral Square Corporation and are both identified as model approaches for providing services to elderly residents while integrating funding streams.