The federal government is offering nearly $600,000 in refunds to Vermonters who upgrade their household appliances to more energy efficient models.

The money is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The state is running a mail-in rebate program to help Vermonters replace older, inefficient appliances with new, high-efficiency Energy Star® qualified and ultra-efficient appliances.

The program for gas tankless water heaters, gas furnaces, and gas boilers is scheduled to begin this month. The program for clothes washers, refrigerators, and air conditioners is tentatively scheduled to begin in March.

The rebates will end when all the funds are depleted.

Eligible products include:

WCAX-TV Channel 3 aired a piece a couple days ago about Brattleboro's First Baptist Church, which is selling its Tiffany stained glass window to help the needy.

Melinda Bussino of the Brattleboro Drop-in Center appears in the story.

Read the script and watch the video at the Channel 3 site.

The U.S. Census will be conducted this spring and summer.

A complete and accurate population count is vital in helping determine Vermont's housing needs, so VHFA encourages everyone to complete the questionnaire when it arrives in the mail.

Census population counts help determine how $400 billion in federal funds are distributed to communities across the country. They're also used to determine the shape of legislative and local government districts.

Vermont will hold its annual homeless memorial vigil Jan. 13 at noon on the Statehouse steps in Montpelier.

The state’s homeless shelter and service providers will commemorate the thousands of Vermonters who received housing and/or services this past year. Stay after to discuss what can be done for the others who aren’t able to receive these services.

Of the estimated 5,400 homeless in Vermont in 2008, approximately 3,750 were sheltered while the remaining 1,650 were unsheltered.