Valley Cares (West River Valley Senior Housing & Assisted Living) has won a Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award from the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition (AHTCC) in Washington, D.C.

AHTCC presents the awards each year to the most outstanding Housing Credit properties in six categories, celebrating the best in affordable rental housing development.

The West Townshend property won in the Senior Housing category.

Valley Cares will receive a $5,000 grant to develop additional services, facilities, or amenities for its residents.

AHTCC is a non-profit organization consisting of syndicators, developers, lenders and other organizations involved with the Housing Credit program.

This past weekend's COTS Walk raised $143,000 to benefit the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) in Burlington.

The annual 3-mile walk around downtown Burlington raises money and awareness to benefit COTS's mission to provide emergency shelter, services, and housing for the homeless.

Mark your calendar: Next year's COTS Walk is set for Sunday, May 3.

VHFA held its second annual Kids Craft Day yesterday, to benefit the United Way.

Children aged 3-12 participated by making a variety of craft projects and a Mother's Day card in the VHFA Board Room.

By charging each child's parent/guardian a participation fee, the event raised $200 for the United Way of Chittenden County.

VHFA is a long-time supporter of the United Way, winning the organization's "President's Award" and "Campaign of the Year" in past years.

The Agency's United Way Committee consists of Scott Baker, Kathy Cawley, Lori Gilding, Pat Loller, Martha Panton, Erin Perrin and Ann-Marie Plank.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has named Vermont a finalist in a competition for up to $5 million to help preserve and improve affordable housing.

The state's proposal, submitted by Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) and the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB), is one of 21 finalists selected from more than 80 submissions.

Vermont's initiative would use the funding to support state rental housing preservation efforts targeted at more than 8,000 apartments in 123 towns over the next decade.

The foundation will eventually award a total of $35 million in grants and low-interest loans to 10 winners in early 2009.