Planning

Statewide reports of rising unemployment and residents in nursing homes especially vulnerable to COVID-19 can cause more questions than answers for Vermont’s communities. How many of our residents are unemployed?  How many live in “group quarters” and are especially at risk of contagious disease like COVID-19?

This commentary by VHFA Executive Director Maura Collins appeared recently in VTDigger

Housing affordability can’t be judged just on how much it costs to rent or buy a home. Although those indicators are important, the total costs of housing, both for households and the community, depend heavily on where the home is located.

Although Vermont communities face hard work in turning the tide of declining housing affordability, consensus is growing about the most effective ways to do this.  At a recent gathering convened by Fannie Mae and the Urban Institute, business, government and non-profit leaders agreed that many of the root causes and solutions to the nation’s housing affordability crisis are tied to local action.

The State of Vermont’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is inviting the public to complete a survey on community needs to inform its upcoming HUD Consolidated Plan. 

The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and its Vermont partners are now accepting applications for the Working Communities Challenge, a grant competition designed to support cross-sector teams working collaboratively to build strong, healthy economies and communities in Vermont.

In our increasing complex system of government, housing is one of few policy areas that is still largely decided at the local level. Resident input can have a significant influence on the number and types of homes that are built in a community.

Earlier this week, the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) launched the Zoning for Great Neighborhoods project, an initiative aimed at helping Vermont cities and towns break down the regulatory barriers preventing them from meeting the housing needs of Vermonters.

Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) is seeking feedback and comments on the Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) that guides the agency in making housing tax credit allocation decisions. The agency is opening the comment and feedback period effective April 23, 2019 and will close the period on Friday, May 24. The current version of the QAP is available on VHFA’s website.

The State of Vermont’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will be holding a public hearing to receive comments on its draft of the 2019 HUD Annual Action Plan at 5:30 PM this Thursday, April 11 at the Bethel Town Hall.

Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA)’s HousingData.org website has recently been updated to display the latest housing data available. The data updates include the newly released 2017 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, as well as 2018 home sales data from the Vermont Department of Taxes.