Planning has begun for the 2022 Statewide Housing Conference. After cancelling the conference in 2020, resuming this in-person, biennial conference feels like a welcome step out of the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic towards Vermont’s “new normal.”
Events
April is Fair Housing Month
April is Fair Housing Month, an opportunity to celebrate the anniversary of the passage of the 1968 Federal Fair Housing Act, while also increasing our efforts to end housing discrimination, expand housing opportunity and raise awareness of housing rights.
The Fair Housing Project of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) and statewide partners are hosting a number of events throughout the month. These include:
Spotlight on ARPA resources for affordable housing
In the newest installment of VHFA's housing video series, VHFA Executive Director Maura Collins interviews Vermont Housing & Conservation Board Policy Director Jennifer Hollar on how federal American Rescue Plan Act pandemic recovery funding is being used to create new affordable homes for Vermonters.
The interview discusses how $144 million in new state and federal funding is being allocated, with 1,158 new homes expected to be created by the end of 2023. Already, 459 of those homes have been designated for Vermonters who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
Local housing forums in October
There's still time to register for the statewide full-day Housing Summit on Wednesday, October 13 in Arlington. VHFA will join other experts in sharing case studies and best practices to promote affordable housing development. Municipal officials, housing developers, nonprofits, legislators and anyone having an interest in supporting the development of quality housing is encouraged to attended. Participants must register by no later than October 6th. More details and registration instructions are available in the event flyer.
Vermont Housing Summit to be held on October 13
Housing leaders statewide have partnered to host a full-day Housing Summit on Wednesday, October 13 in Arlington. Municipal officials, housing developers, nonprofits, legislators and anyone having an interest in supporting the development of quality housing is encouraged to attended.
VHFA will join representatives from the Department of Housing and Community Development, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, the Bennington County Regional Commission and other experts to share case studies drawn from Vermont communities and best practices to promote affordable housing development.
Seeking input on Homeowner Assistance Fund counseling/services and home repair components
VHFA is gathering input and data regarding two components of the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) slated to open later this year. HAF was created by the federal American Rescue Plan Act to provide relief for homeowners experiencing financial hardship after January 2020. The Fund will provide Vermont up to $50 million over the next 4 years to provide assistance for mortgage and other expenses troubling homeowners with pandemic-related hardship as well as for housing counseling and legal services.
Learn more about Weatherization at Scale on 6/21
In 2020 Vermont’s Energy Action Network formed a Weatherization at Scale action team, with the goal of weatherizing every home owned or rented by low-to-moderate income Vermonters by 2030. The coalition, which includes Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA), successfully urged Vermont lawmakers and the Governor to invest more than $20 million towards weatherization in the FY 2022 state budget. This includes a $9 million pilot tariffed to-the-meter financing home weatherization program to be administered by VHFA.
Share your ideas about helping Vermont homeowners recover from pandemic hardship
VHFA will be hosting two public meetings on June 1 and June 3 to discuss how to use federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to serve Vermont homeowners. The Homeowners Assistance Fund, created by the act, will provide Vermont up to $50 million over the next 3 years to provide assistance for mortgage payments and other expenses troubling homeowners with pandemic-related hardship.
Meetings will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, at noon and Thursday, June 3, 2021, at 5 PM (meeting hyperlinks and call-in phone numbers below). VHFA will use community input from these meetings to help design programs targeted to homeowners with incomes at or below the area median and to socially disadvantaged homeowners.
Register for FHLB's AHP funding webinar
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHLBB)'s 2021 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) will begin to accept applications on June 7. The program will award grants and low-interest loans through member institutions to organizations promoting homeownership and rental housing opportunities for low income households. The Affordable Housing Program has led to the production or renovation of nearly 35,000 affordable homes since 1990.
Facing worsening housing shortage, Upper Valley initiative provides solutions
By 2030, the Upper Valley region will need to triple the pace of home building and conversions to meet projected demand from existing and future residents, according to the collaborative Keys to the Valley initiative. About one-third of the region’s households are cost burdened by paying more than 30% of their income for their housing. With the region’s aging population and declining average household size, these trends suggest a path forward that preserves existing homes, encourages new homes, improves housing affordability and fosters diverse, smaller housing types.