Partner organizations

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. The Council also makes annual recommendations to the Governor and Administration regarding resource, policy, and regulatory changes necessary to reduce and end homelessness in Vermont.

Governor Phil Scott joined by Executive Director Sarah Carpenter and others on June 5, cut the ribbon on the newly-constructed, 28,000 square foot Elm Place, an affordable residence for seniors, located in Milton.

Elm Place is considered a “passive house” due to its impressive energy savings. Some of these savings come from its cold climate air source heat pumps, a rooftop solar array and LED lighting. A few of Elm Place amenities include an elevator, exercise room, on-site storage, kitchen, lounge, laundry facilities, covered parking and an outdoor courtyard, including garden beds for resident use.

Executive Director Sarah Carpenter joined Brattleboro Housing Partnerships and other agencies in Brattleboro, on May 25, 2017 to celebrate the opening of Red Clover Commons, a newly constructed 55-unit building for seniors and people with disabilities. These homes are intended to  replace units at Melrose Place which were severely damaged from Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011.

The project will offer support for residents through the Support and Services at Home program (SASH). The project incorporated numerous energy efficient features including a new geothermal heating and cooling system. The building is centrally located near various public services such as public transportation, shopping and the hospital. 

June is National Homeownership Month, which gives us a chance to celebrate the ways homeownership opportunities have improved in the last year, as well as reflect on ways we can improve in the coming year. To kick off the month, US Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary Ben Carson will be discussing the history and outlook of homeownership at 2pm EDT on June 1st, 2017.

There will be a webcast of the event.  

US Department of Housing and Urban Development states the following about their discussion on Thursday:

Allyson Laackman has been appointed as the executive director of the Burlington Housing Authority (BHA), the organization’s board of commissioners announced today. 

Laackman, who was recruited in December as interim co-executive director to help lead the organization through a strategic planning process, has a distinguished career in public service, including serving as the White House’s chief financial officer.

“Allyson has impressed all of us on the board of commissioners with her energy and enthusiasm for BHA’s mission,” said Michael Knauer, the chair of BHA’s board of commissioners. 

New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) President/CEO John J. Dwyer, Jr. announced today a $1 million grant from NEFCU to Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) to address the critical need for affordable housing. The money will be awarded by VHFA over the coming year to several housing developments that have funding shortfalls.

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. Meanwhile, Census officials and analysts strategized about how to most effectively use the Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) estimates to provide much-needed information about conditions facing the population. 

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. The Chittenden County Homeless Alliance, which VHFA has partnered with since 2003, is a coalition of individuals, organizations, and government who support a vision of a safe, decent, affordable, stable home for every person and family in Chittenden County.

The Vermont Senate has passed a bill (S.100) to enact a $35 million housing bond to spur the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing across the State.  The bill is now in the House with just a few days to go until adjournment.  Recommended in Governor Scott's budget proposal, the housing bond would address a significant need for affordable housing in Vermont, help to alleviate homelessness, house the workforce, and provide expanded homeownership opportunities for Vermonters.  

VHFA supported the renovation and expansion of Bradley House in Brattleboro with the commitment of a $3.1 million construction loan and its staff was gratified to attended the project's ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday.

The development is a Level III Residential Care facility that serves seniors in need of a variety of services, and the expansion will increase the number of residents served from 28 to 35. The wonderfully elaborate building that will be renovated was built in the 1860s and an attached new wing will be added to allow this expansion. The facility is owned and run by Holton Home Inc. and is their second such property in Brattleboro.