The latest edition of the annual report on rental housing affordability from the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition has found that Vermont has one of the highest gaps in the nation between the cost of rent and renter wages. Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing reports that for a Vermont renter to be able to afford a modest two bedroom apartment, he or she would need to earn $22.40 per hour, well above the average renter wage.

A task force convened by the New Democrat Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, has found that housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable and unavailable for many Americans. In the report, Missing Millions of Homes, the Coalition linked the lack of affordable housing to a combination of wage stagnation and decreased construction.

Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) announced today that later this year Sarah Carpenter, Executive Director, will be retiring, after twenty years at the agency’s helm. “As a result of Sarah’s vision and skill thousands of Vermonters have moved into decent, affordable homes since she arrived at VHFA in 1998,” said Randy Amis, chair of VHFA’s Board of Commissioners. “She has expertly led VHFA’s financial activities and programs, built strong partnerships and shared her deep expertise with state and federal policy makers. Vermont is a better place to live thanks to Sarah’s impact.”  

In recognition of her scholarly and professional achievements, VHFA’s Research and Communications Coordinator Mia Watson received the Marshall E. Dimock Award as a graduate of UVM’s Masters of Public Administration (MPA) program. 

The award was presented by MPA program director Christopher Koliba during UVM’s graduation festivities in May 2018.

The criteria for the award are advancement of ethical principles within public administration, evidence of outstanding academic and scholarly activities, commitment to the advancement of the profession of public administration and vision for the field of public administration.

Just a year earlier, VHFA’s Deputy Director Maura Collins won the award for her work as an alumna of the UVM MPA program.