NeighborWorks of Western Vermont won a $4.5 million grant for innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.

The Rutland County nonprofit housing organization received the grant — one of only 20 nationwide — for its proposal to save energy and create jobs retrofitting homes and municipal buildings.

"Working with our partners we will be able to retrofit 40 percent of the homes in Rutland County for energy savings, create an estimated 352 jobs, and show the entire country what a single county in Vermont can do with resources and the determination to get it done, " says Ludy Biddle, Executive Director of NeighborWorks of Western Vermont.

Seven Days newspaper's Shay Totten has written a follow-up to his article from a couple weeks ago about Burlington's Wharf Lane Apartments.

The piece, titled "Low-Income Residents Rally to Keep Their Homes," was published on the paper's blog today.

Read the article.

We've created a quick, online survey to gauge interest in the workshop topics we're considering for this fall's Vermont Statewide Housing Conference.

Take the survey now and help shape the conference.

The home repair for women workshop conducted by Champlain Housing Trust (CHT) last week was highly-rated by those who attended, who ranked it 4.9 on a 1-to-5 scale.

Attendees received information about homes, systems, and tools; and participated in a hands-on workshop to learn how to fix sheetrock and install lighting fixtures.