Shrinking household size is key population driver of Vermont's housing shortage
Instead of being driven by population growth, Vermont’s housing shortage is mostly fueled by shrinking household sizes (fewer people living in each home). Last year, VHFA highlighted the need to increase the pace of home building to 5,000-7,000 Vermont homes each year in the statewide Housing Needs Assessment. Even though estimates of Vermont’s recent population growth were modest at that time, longstanding housing shortages grew more severe.