Statistical research confirms unaffordable housing has broad impacts for local economies.

In the recent report “Unaffordable Housing and Employment Growth,” researchers at the New England Public Policy Center explain incremental increases in housing unaffordability reduce employment growth in U.S. metropolitan areas and counties and for all cities in California.

The results “turn out to be remarkably consistent,” the report concludes.

Recent New York City-based research demonstrates residents of tax credit-financed apartments pay $500 less than monthly market rents, more than doubling the discretionary income available to each household for other necessities. The June 2010 report shows these income savings boost local purchasing power, "contributing to retail vitality of the neighborhood."

A story in this morning's Burlington Free Press ("Vermont seeks to leverage success in weatherization numbers") says, "Vermont leads the nation in meeting goals for weatherizing low-income homes using stimulus funds."

The story goes on to to talk about stimulus funds that are helping make homes owned by low-income Vermonters more energy efficient.

VHFA is involved with a similar initiative aimed at improving energy efficiency of the state's multifamily affordable housing developments.

The TD Charitable Foundation is accepting applications for its 2010 Housing for Everyone grant competition.

The foundation, the charitable arm of TD Bank, will give $1.7 million to 34 local non-profit organizations that make a meaningful difference in meeting the affordable housing needs of their communities.

The theme of this year’s competition is Capital Improvements for Affordable Housing.

Here are the criteria: