While Vermont doesn't have any urban area as populated as Portland, Ore., we might have something to learn by reading a recent report published by Living Cities.

"A Human Connection: How Portland, Ore., Made a Big Dent in Chronic Homelessness" tells the story of how Portland reduced its population of chronic homeless by 70 percent between 2005 and '08.

The key to their success? Establishing a "human connection" between the city's chronically homeless and public.

Quick reminder that the Directory of Affordable Rental Housing (DoARH) Web site lets all managers of subsidized housing in Vermont post their vacancies for free.

Visited by hundreds of people each week, the DoARH is an easy-to-use, central location to publicize your vacancies, and it helps meet your Fair Housing posting requirements.

We noticed that Vermont's largest city ended up on two lists at CNN.com recently.

Burlington ranks #4 on CNN's list of cities with the lowest number of foreclosures: 1 in 8,006 housing units.

Elsewhere on the site, the Queen City's listed as having the 23rd highest rental rates anywhere in the country.

You can see all the numbers under the "Costs" tab at CNN's Web site.

A recent report by Ernst & Young says if proposals made by Affordable Rental Housing A.C.T.I.O.N. are adopted by Congress, investment in affordable housing development will increase substantially.

The report estimates investment in large and small housing developments in metro and rural regions across the country is likely to increase by nearly 50 percent in 2010 and '11.

The financial crisis has reduced investment in the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, the most successful program for boosting affordable housing production.

Since 1986, LIHTCs have financed 388 affordable rental homes a year in Vermont.