Affordable Housing: Recent Headlines

Help program sees need hike

VCF Staff — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:00:29 +0000

The Brattleboro Reformer reports that "Vermont 2-1-1 saw a big increase in calls this past October, but is keeping up with the high demand for assistance." Vermont 2-1-1 is a service provided by the United Way of Vermont that is "equipped to help Vermont residents with almost any issue including child care needs, housing, food and drug and alcohol problems."Through the service, "Vermonters who pick up the phone and dial 211 will receive help when it comes to getting in touch with the local agencies that can assist them." Notably, "in October, 2,382 calls were made to Vermont 2-1-1, the second highest call volume ever in a given month. Referrals for basic needs (food, housing/shelter, material goods, temporary financial aid and transportation) hit an all time high and continue to run higher than any other category."

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Noyes named acting Housing Commissioner

VCF Staff — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:31:19 +0000

Vermont Public Radio reports that Barre resident William Noyes will become Vermont's acting Commissioner of Housing and Community Affairs when current acting Commissioner Molly Dugan steps down later this month. "Noyes joined the Department of Economic Development in June 2006 after serving nine years as second in command of the Vermont National Guard. Prior to working for the guard, Noyes spent more than 20 years working in the private sector."

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Program to receive $1.4 million for AIDS housing

VCF Staff — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:02:29 +0000

The Burlington Free Press reports that the "Vermont Housing and Conservation Board will receive $1,430,000 in federal funding to continue a statewide HIV/AIDS housing and supportive services program." The program "provid[es] long-term rental assistance and short-term housing units, develop[s] HIV/AIDS-designated affordable housing, and support[s] the delivery of basic services by regional AIDS service organizations." The funding will enable the program to "support 40 individuals annually with tenant-based rental assistance, and 171 households with short-term rent, mortgage and utility assistance. Also, 259 people with HIV/AIDS will receive support services each year."

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City proposal may remedy costs of abandoned parcels

VCF Staff — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:34:49 +0000

The Rutland Herald reports that "in the midst of a declining housing market that's piling up with foreclosed properties on a national scale, Rutland's municipality is dealing with the after-effects of landlords who cut and run from their losses." In turn, Mayor Mayor Christopher Louras has "asked the aldermen to begin work on an ordinance that would help the city get paid for being the de facto landlord for abandoned properties." More specifically, Louras "hopes the [Aldermen] will pass an ordinance similar to one in Burlington that converts municipality property management expenses into tax liens."

According to the Mayor, "The city has incurred considerable costs dealing with everything from mold and mosquito-related public health hazards to situations involving tenants left in buildings where water and electrical utilities have been stopped." City city building inspector James Simonds commented that "so much of his time has been spent dealing with abandoned properties as of late that he believes his office is 'becoming a property management company.'" Simonds concluded, ""As more and more buildings are foreclosed on, this is only going to get worse."

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National bill includes affordable housing initiative pioneered in Vermont

VCF Staff — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:09:57 +0000

Vermont Public Radio reports that a "housing bill signed into law by President Bush this morning was inspired, in part, by a successful program in Vermont." Indeed, "a key provision of the new law establishes the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, a concept first tried in Vermont 21 years ago." With the establishment of the fund, the federal government will be able "to make grants totaling $500 million a year to states and cities. The local governments will then award money to various nonprofit housing agencies or private developers to build affordable housing." According to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, the law will "address the very serious problem of homelessness" and will "act as an economic stimulus because home construction [and] rehabilitation create good-paying jobs."

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Champlain Housing Trust wins United Nations award

VCF Staff — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:26:06 +0000

Vermont Public Radio reports that the Champlain Housing Trust has been recognized by the United Nations' agency UN Habitat for operating an affordable housing program that "can serve as models in other parts of the world." The Trust "use[s] public subsidies to help lower-income people buy a house." Chief executive Brenda Torpy explained that "Champlain's homebuyers agree that when they eventually sell, they'll share part of their profit with future owners." She added, "To take our approach, which is give people a substantial support to get in, and then recycle some of that so you don't have to resubsidize every successive buyer. This has been a tremendous benefit to be proven both on behalf of how it works for people who are buying, but also how it works publicly, when we're all concerned about if you spend public money what's the benefit overall.''

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Grant to help affordable housing project

VCF Staff — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:50:29 +0000

The Brattleboro Reformer reports that the Rockingham Area Community Land Trust was presented with a $152,000 check that "will be used for [a] proposed $5.6 million renovation of seven affordable housing buildings in Bellows Falls." The money "will pay for a small piece of the ambitious project that will leverage a mix of state, federal and private money to totally rehabilitate 28 units of affordable apartments on Williams Street Extension, Pine Street and South Street."

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Welch praises $500M housing program

VCF Staff — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:58:34 +0000

The Bennington Banner reports that "U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, hailed the passage of a major housing bill, which includes the designation of $500 million to help communities create more affordable housing." Welch believes that "a portion of the bill designed to create more affordable housing could have a positive impact on Vermont." Indeed, "the bill establishes a National Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which will provide $500 million in grant funds for states and local communities to distribute. The funding, which will be in place by 2012, will allow organizations and agencies — both non-profit and for-profit — that demonstrate the capacity to build and rehabilitate affordable housing to receive money." Notably, "the trust fund is modeled after programs such as Vermont's Housing Trust Fund, which has generated over 8,500 units of affordable housing statewide since its inception in 1987." Welch noted that "he worked with Financial Services Chairman Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., to develop a funding formula that ensures at least $3 million for Vermont."

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GE Healthcare helps Habitat with its largest effort ever

VCF Staff — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:58:43 +0000

The Burlington Free Press reports that "five houses are being built on Barnum Street in the largest effort conducted by Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity. Many of the volunteers who will build the Milton homes work for GE Healthcare Information Technology in South Burlington. The company, formerly known as IDX Systems, is deploying 700 of its 800 employees on four-hour shifts during a two-week period — generating 2,800 hours of labor."

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Townshend senior center wins national award

VCF Staff — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:24:02 +0000

The Burlington Free Press reports that "the West River Valley Senior Housing development in Townshend is being recognized as the No. 1 new senior housing development in the United States" by the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition. The Townshend complex, which opened last October, provides a mix of market-rate, affordable and rent-subsidized units, including 24 independent living apartments and 28 units of assisted living. The organization will receive the award at a ceremony in Washington later this week, and " Housing Vermont, which helped develop the Townshend project, will receive a $5,000 award."

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