Partner organizations

Our friends at the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Rural Development (USDA/RD) have made changes to their Section 502 Guaranteed Loan Program so more Vermonters may be eligible.

USDA/RD has increased its income limits for the program, which help determine who might be eligible for a home loan. At the same time, they've moved to a two-tiered system — for families of one to four people and five to eight people — to simplify the process.

"This will have a huge impact for qualifying customers as it relates to income eligibility based on household size," according to USDA/RD Housing Program Director Bob McDonald.

A group of statewide housing organizations, including VHFA, have formed the Vermont Green Home Alliance.

The alliance, announced at a press conference at the Champlain Valley Expo this afternoon, promotes and encourages "green" building practices in Vermont.

“VHFA's been a strong supporter of energy efficiency and green building design techniques for many years," said VHFA Chief of Program Operations David Adams.

"We appreciate the opportunity that was made possible through the hard work of all our partners to understand and better promote the benefits and importance of green building practices in Vermont."

Vermonters who rent their homes live in the 15th most expensive state in the nation for renters, according to a new report.

"Out of Reach 2008-2009" was released today by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), a Washington, D.C.-based housing advocacy group, and the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition.

The report provides data for every state, metropolitan area and county in the country, comparing 52 jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Rural Vermont ranks in the top 10 most expensive rural areas in the nation.

The Rutland Herald published a story in this morning's edition about foreclosure assistance available from NeighborWorks of Western Vermont in Rutland.

NeighborWorks of Western Vermont Executive Director Ludy Biddle and Deputy Commissioner of Banking and Securities for the Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration Tom Candon, who also sits on VHFA's Board of Commissioners, are quoted in the piece.

Read the article online.

Our friends at the Vermont Center for Independent Living (VCIL) in Montpelier have named Sarah Wendell Launderville (right) Executive Director of the organization.

Sarah started at the center in 1997, and is currently Home and Community Access Program Manager.

She becomes Executive Director on April 1 when she replaces Deborah Lisi-Baker (left), who's directed the center for 10 years.

Deborah's retiring from her position, but plans to remain active in disability rights by teaching and consulting.

Our friends at Smart Growth Vermont are seeking a $200,000 grant from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters for a project focused on transportation and climate change.

Part of the application process involves submitting a summary of the grant idea to JustMeans.com to see how many votes it garners and positive comments it receives relative to other proposals.

The top vote-getters are given greater weight when their full proposals are reviewed by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.

The Vermont Interagency Council on Homelessness (VICH) just issued its "2008 Report to the Governor."

The publication details the homeless situation in Vermont, along with steps Vermont organizations are taking to address it.

VHFA Executive Director Sarah Carpenter is a member of the VICH.

Download a PDF copy of the report.

While it's never good news to be opening an emergency shelter, the community has come together to help the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) furnish and move into a new shelter on Burlington's Saint Paul Street.

WPTZ NewsChannel 5 covered the story.

COTS was also one of an estimated 140 organizations caught short when its Web site host pulled up stakes without notice.

South Burlington's Eternity Web Development has offered free Web recovery or re-designs for area non-profit organizations affected by the shutdown of Silicon Dairy.

Vermont housing and aging professionals have formed the Vermont Aging Collaborative (VAC), a local chapter of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA), comprised of non-profit housing and service providers.

VAC strives to create a network of long-term care services and to support seniors and persons with disabilities to remain in their community of choice, by working on many of the issues AAHSA advocates for nationally, such as:

Champlain Housing Trust (CHT) played host to approximately 100 guests at a ribbon cutting ceremony Saturday morning for their new headquarters on King Street in Burlington.

The building, a stone's throw from VHFA's location on Saint Paul Street, also contains 20 new units of housing.

U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, Vermont Sen. Susan Bartlett, and representatives from CHT, Housing Vermont, and NeighborWorks America spoke in a crowded second floor meeting room before things moved outside for the official ribbon cutting.