All Vermont residents who own and occupy their home on April 1 must once again file the Homestead Declaration annually by the due date for filing Vermont income tax returns, which is April 15this year. When homeowners file their declaration, the town is then able to apply the correct education property tax rate to the property.
Misc
Online conference registration now open
The Vermont Statewide Housing Conference is proud to announce its lineup of 18 workshops, in-depth plenary panel and keynote speaker, and networking opportunities. Register online today for this important event!
Housing law workshop Wednesday
Tomorrow there’s an exciting opportunity to dive into the details of Vermont’s housing laws. Billed as “an advanced workshop for planning professionals exploring Vermont housing laws,” this event will cover an overview of fair housing laws, changes to Title 9, and the Federal Fair Housing Act. “Case studies will be presented, followed by a discussion of potential future amendments to housing laws in Vermont,” the flyer reads.
How accessibility laws and standards apply to housing development
The Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) has developed an “accessibility tool” for funders and developers to use to determine when and how the various accessibility laws and standards (ADA, Section 504, UFAS, FHA, VT’s Access Rules and Visitability Law) apply to affordable housing development. In recognition of National Fair Housing Month and the completion this project, VHCB is hosting an accessibility training on April 30th 1:30-3:30pm in Montpelier (exact location to be determined).
Measuring Chittenden county's housing progress
Chittenden County’s ECOS project is attempting to measure the region’s progress towards its housing goal of “increasing the opportunities for safe, decent, energy efficient, affordable, and fair housing for all types of households in diverse neighborhoods.” With such a broad goal, what data could indicate if we were on the right – or wr
Common rental application for housing assistance in Vermont
Over the past 18 months, VHFA, the Vermont Housing Managers Association (VHMA) and other statewide housing providers and advocates have been working on the concept of developing a universal rental application that could meet the basic needs of most housing programs in Vermont. A streamlined approach has been requested by rental applicants, case managers and social service agencies working with rental applicants for years. The need to simplify the process was identified in June at Governor Shumlin’s Housing the Homeless Summit and is even more pressing with the housing issues following the devastation wrought by Irene.
Deadline pushed to October 17th for FEMA infrastructure assistance
Yesterday, FEMA postponed the deadline for registering for infrastructure assistance to October 17th. By this date, government agencies and certain private non-profit organizations needing funds to rebuild infrastructure damages caused by hurricane Irene must register with FEMA.
FEMA's Public Assistance (Infrastructure) program reimburses state and municipal governments for the cost of eligible emergency protective measures, debris removal, and the repair, restoration, reconstruction or replacement of public infrastructure such as roads and bridges, water control facilities, public buildings and contents, public utilities and parks, and other recreational facilities damaged during a disaster.
Congratulations Susan LaFerriere at Union Bank!
This summer, Vermont Housing Finance Agency sent a targeted email to participating lenders and a network of Realtors across the state announcing a summer contest: for each one who clicked the email to “like” VHFA on Facebook, or signed up to follow our Housing Matters blog, they were entered into a drawing to win an Elite Keurig brewer and five boxes of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters coffee.
Susan LaFerriere at Union Bank’s office in St.Johnsbury was our winner!