Advocacy

Housing and Community Development stakeholders from across the state gathered in St. Albans on Monday April 1^st to announce funding commitment of $39 million that will support a wide range of housing opportunities across Vermont.  State Treasurer Mike Pieciak and Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) Executive Director Maura Collins were joined by St.

VHFA is pleased to be a sponsor of the 2024 April Fair Housing Month kick off event “Just Action” with authors Leah & Richard Rothstein on April 1 starting at 5:30pm at Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center in Burlington. This free event and statewide housing justice book club will promote community-based solutions to housing segregation and exclusion.  

As a member of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), we are excited to be a sponsor of this year's Legislative Breakfast being held this Friday, December 9, at the historic Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center in Burlington.

The Urban Institute recently released an article about how an equity lens is essential to mitigating the effects of hotter summers that are expected in the future due to climate change. As our climate continues to rise, low-income neighborhoods and communities of color are much more likely to experience hotter summers and the effects that come with it, even compared to higher income neighborhoods in the same area. This, along with less access to air conditioning and cooler buildings, means that marginalized communities are most vulnerable to the health risks associated with climate change.

As many states including Vermont begin to award millions in financial assistance to homeowners impacted by the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued warnings of predatory fraud schemes targeting desperate homeowners looking to avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes. 

Vermont's annual Homelessness Awareness Day will take place virtually this year from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Thursday, January 20th. Our partners at the Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness, Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, Vermont Interfaith Action, and Chittenden County Homeless Alliance are sponsoring a series of activities for the event, including legislative testimony and a Memorial Vigil to remember Vermonters who have died without homes. 

In another installment of VHFA's housing video series, VHFA Executive Director Maura Collins interviews David Martins, who was appointed Director of the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition (VAHC) this July.

In the video, Martins explains how VAHC helps organize Vermont housing organizations to advocate for the interests of low-income Vermonters. He describes some of their recent community advocacy activities and plans to build VAHC's membership. 

On August 28th, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) announced that the Chittenden County Continuum of Care (VT-501) has eradicated homelessness among veterans in Chittenden County.  
 
The announcement, sent to Mayor Kristine Lott of Winooski and Mayor Miro Weinberger of Burlington states: 
 
“We are confident that the infrastructure and systems you have built will ensure that any Veteran experiencing homelessness in the region will get the support they need to quickly obtain a permanent home.” 
 
Mayor Lott stated in an official press release: 
 

The Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) is heeding the call Governor Phil Scott made ealier this week “to reflect on what role each of us can play to end hate, racism and bigotry.” As our nation grapples with complex discussions around institutional racism, the housing industry must be a focal vehicle for both analysis of past racism and how we can work toward eradicating institutional racism in the future. To do this we need to examine the role VHFA can play to address the reality that housing policy and finance has been used to perpetuate racial inequalities.

National Fair Housing Month is held every April to celebrate the anniversary of the passage of the 1968 Federal Fair Housing Act. At the same time, it is an opportunity to increase our efforts to end housing discrimination and raises awareness of housing rights.