University of Vermont graduate student Barbara Asiimwe (she/her) has been named the Fall 2021 Vermont Housing Fellow. Asiimwe will receive a financial stipend to help VHFA’s research and outreach for its upcoming Homeowner Assistance Program. In addition, the Vermont Housing Fellowship program is intended to provide the Fellow with valuable experience aiding her professional development. 

VHFA and the Vermont League of Cities and Towns recently published a checklist of options for using local recovery funds provided through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to promote recovery from the pandemic through investments in housing and neighborhoods. By providing more safe, affordable housing, communities can address inequities, promote health and spur broader economic benefits. The checklist joins the many resources available to communities in the Vermont Housing-Ready toolbox.

The Vermont Housing & Conservation Board updated and re-issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) last week regarding the design and launch of a statewide initiative to address racial justice and equity in housing. The initiative will be guided by a steering committee comprised of representatives from NeighborWorks Alliance of Vermont, NeighborWorks America, VHFA, and other to-be-identified stakeholders. The goal of the initiative is to examine how racial inequities impact Black, Indigenous, and People of Color living in Vermont and identify actions, on both policy and programmatic levels, which expand access to affordable housing for all Vermonters.

We know that housing development in Vermont has slowed in recent decades and this—combined with population growth, a decrease in household size, and wage stagnation—has led to the cost of buying and renting inching more and more out of reach for over one third of Vermonters. Though the solution will necessitate action from many sources, including federal and state government, municipalities can play a vital role in encouraging development and combating unaffordability.