Home sale prices in Vermont continued to rise in 2020 amidst the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The median primary (non-vacation) home sold for $246,000, according to Vermont Property Transfer Tax records.

Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) Executive Director Maura Collins was recently appointed to the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) Board and Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHLB) Advisory Council. These two organizations play a key role in shaping housing finance policy in New England and beyond.

Columbia University graduate student Riley Burchell has been named the Spring 2021 Vermont Housing Fellow. Burchell will receive a financial stipend to improve and expand information available to decision makers about Vermont housing markets and opportunities. In addition, the program is intended to provide the fellow with valuable experience aiding to her professional development.

Burchell is pursuing dual degrees in Urban Planning and Social Work Policy at Columbia University.  She has interned for two years at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development, most recently facilitating and developing community engagement strategies around the implementation of a community land trust initiative in Far Rockaway, Queens.

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded worldwide, VHFA focused on the shifting needs of Vermonters and stayed the course with long-standing tools and programs. In March, the agency swiftly found ways to support non-profit partners as well as to pivot to fully remote work. By December, it had designed and wrapped up a 6-month Vermont COVID Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program that successfully helped 638 homeowners to remain stably housed after COVID hardships caused them to miss mortgage payments.