Executive Director Maura Collins announced that VHFA has selected Ken Pulido (he/him) of South Burlington in the newly created role of Director of Energy Finance.

Pulido has a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California-Irvine and an MBA from Stanford University. He has worked as both a banker and developer in the energy and finance sectors, including most recently as a consultant working with Vermont utilities on decarbonization efforts. He is also a member of the South Burlington Energy Committee. Pulido has been consulting with VHFA for the last year on its Weatherization Repayment Assistance Program (WRAP), before accepting a role as a full-time staff member.

Vermont Bond Bank has announced its first annual Capital Plan Contest as well as the Vermont Capital Planning Forum. In sponsoring the contest, the Bond Bank seeks to recognize best practices in communities of all sizes while allowing all Vermonters to benefit from exemplary models of capital planning throughout the state.

The Vermont chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), will host a design charrette session with pro-bono services for affordable housing projects.

AIA-VT invites Vermont nonprofits, municipalities, and community-based groups to submit specific affordable housing projects in the early or conceptual stages for review.

A new white paper from Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) finds that 86% of Vermont housing developers were experiencing project delays during the pandemic. The report draws from an online survey of statewide developers in August and a subsequent forum that brought together over 60 development professionals and state regulators to discuss challenges and potential solutions. Despite unprecedented state and federal funding increases from pandemic relief bills, Vermont’s development community is encountering significant challenges completing projects.