The recently enacted Federal Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HR 3221) contains a number of reforms, including changes that will affect the Housing Credit program.

VHFA has proposed additional changes to Vermont's Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP), not initiated by this legislation but based on other policy changes, feedback, and program experience.

These changes pertain to:

• The definition of "blight";
• The mixed-income threshold;
• Permanent supportive housing; and
• Homeownership tax credit

We've placed several documents explaining these proposals on our Web site.

This is the latest of several quick bios we'll blog of speakers scheduled to appear at the Vermont Statewide Housing Conference, Nov. 18 in South Burlington.

Read about other speakers scheduled to present at the event and register to attend at the conference Web site.

As a Housing Policy Analyst with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Douglas Rice's work focuses on the impact of federal housing policy on low-income families.

Abby Krause, an Americorps VISTA member and recent University of Vermont graduate, has joined the staff at the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition (VAHC) in Burlington.

Abby graduated from UVM last year with a degree in Community and International Development. She recently helped re-design the housing section of the Town of Alburg's town plan, which piqued her interest in the housing needs of Vermont residents. She also has experience working in construction.

After completing her service term, Abby plans to pursue either a career or graduate degree in municipal work.

VHFA's Socially Responsible Committee, a group of staffers helping assure the Agency conducts its business in a socially responsible manner, has launched its Community Awareness Program (CAP).

CAP is a voluntary program that encourages staff members to gather on designated lunch hours to hear from a variety of presenters speaking on issues pertinent to our community and how we can help make it a better place to live.

The series kicks off Sept. 23 with a presentation on energy efficiency by Tim Perrin of Efficiency Vermont. He'll share tips on how to make homes more energy efficient, save money and help the environment.