Housing data

Vermont Governor Phil Scott joined legislative and housing leaders in a press conference last week to update the public on the first year progress of the Building Homes Together campaign.

In each of Vermont's northernmost counties, the median price of homes sold during the first half of 2017 was more than 10% higher than a decade earlier, according to our recent analysis of VT Tax Department data on non-vacation homes. 

Home price data through June 2017 for every town and county in the state was recently added to the Vermont Housing Data website's community profiles. 

Despite continued signs of a strengthening national economy, HUD's reported this month that severe housing problems are on the rise. In 2015, 8.30 million households had worst case needs, up from 7.72 million in 2013.

Based on feedback from property managers and apartment seekers, VHFA launched this week a redesigned, user-friendly Vermont Directory of Affordable Rental Housing at www.housingdata.org. We improved search tools and expanded the site to include more information people looking for an apartment need, such as rent and income limits, property photos, proximity to public transportation, accessibility features and pet policies.  

With the passing of the State budget and enactment of a bond that could produce $35 million, Vermont is making its largest single commitment ever of state dollars for affordable housing. VHFA will issue the revenue bond and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) will administer the funds statewide to expand Vermont’s stock of permanently affordable housing. 

The Vermont Council on Homelessness has a new website providing information about the state's initiatives to help end homelessness.  The responsibilities of the Council include development, monitoring and periodic revision of Vermont’s Plan to End Homelessness.

John Thompson addressed hundreds of data users at their annual conference Thursday while news broke of his abrupt resignation as director of the U.S. Census Bureau. Several experts pointed out the great challenges Thompson’s resignation creates.

The annual count of people living in Chittenden County who are homeless decreased by 12% from the previous year, according to the Chittenden County Homeless Alliance. This continues a declining trend that has brought the number of people who are homeless in the county down 45% over the past four years.

Housing affordability challenges in high-cost cities often overshadow the enormous housing challenges in rural America. Though the situation is more extreme in metro areas, rural areas and small towns also face significant shortages of affordable and available rental housing, as most very low-income Vermonters well know.

Housing developers, business leaders, smart growth policy experts and poverty advocates joined together to support the passage of a $35 million housing bond this afternoon at a press conference at Vermont’s State House in Montpelier.