We've just started planning for the 2010 Vermont Statewide Housing Conference, and already have our first two sponsors to announce: Champlain Housing Trust and Northfield Savings Bank.

If your business or organization's interested in putting your name in front of hundreds of housing professionals, take a look at our sponsorship rate sheet (PDF). Packages start at just $250.

The conference is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 18, at the Hilton in downtown Burlington.

The Central Vermont Community Land Trust (CVCLT) is looking at the housing needs of Waterbury as part of the town's downtown planning study.

While CVCLT examined six sites for possible affordable housing development, its draft report suggests the town do more planning before committing to a specific housing project.

A new federal report shows Vermont is the top state, per capita, for its use of Federal Historic Tax Credits to rehabilitate historic buildings.

Regardless of population, the Green Mountain State is number 10 in the country, up from number 12 a year ago.

Over the last decade, the tax credits have been responsible in Vermont for rehabilitation of everything from small storefronts to major downtown redevelopments.

Last fiscal year, 34 rehab projects in Vermont received $4.6 million in federal tax credits. The properties had a total construction value of more than $23 million.

More than 200,000 affordable homes will result from the nearly $14 billion the U.S. Department of Treasury invested in the nation's housing finance agencies (HFAs) Tuesday.

The department's purchase of housing bonds is part of the Obama Administration's Housing Finance Agency Initiative, an element of its Making Home Affordable program.

The HFA Initiative is expected to come at no cost to taxpayers.