We've posted the 2011 application deadline for Act 68 subsidized rental housing certification: Feb. 25.

Act 68 categorizes all Vermont properties as "homestead" or "non-homestead," charging a higher tax rate for non-homestead properties.

Subsidized housing buildings are, by default, considered non-homestead properties under Act 68. Luckily, the law allows owners/managers of those properties to apply to reduce their assessment to reduce their tax burdens to something more akin to homestead status.

More details about Act 68, the process of applying for the subsidized rental housing designation, as well as a PDF application are all available online.

Chip Sawyer from the Center for Rural Studies (CRS) at the University of Vermont appeared on TV and radio yesterday, talking about the release of the 2010 Census numbers. (See our post from yesterday: "Census: Vermont population up 2.8% over past decade.")

Chip and CRS are partners with VHFA in the Vermont Housing Data Web site.

Read more:

Vermont’s total population is 625,741, according to the first set of data released from the 2010 Census.

This represents an increase of 2.8% from the count in 2000 — a dramatic slowing of the population growth rate compared to the 8.2% growth between 1990 and 2000. Only six states grew more slowly than Vermont between 2000 and 2010.

Vermont continues to be the second smallest state in the country, behind Wyoming. Although these population counts will affect the number of representatives in the U.S. Congress from many states, Vermont’s single seat will remain unchanged.

More information is at the Census site.