In addition to damaging their office building, Tropical Storm Irene devastated elderly housing run by the Brattleboro Housing Authority (BHA).   The Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition is reporting that BHA had damage in 70 of the 80 apartments at Melrose Senior Housing and have had to put up many seniors in temporary housing in motels.

The governor held a press conference in Moretown, Vermont yesterday to meet with residents, survey damage from Tropical Storm Irene and outline the various federal and state programs designed to help them get properties repaired  and rebuilt.  Read the governor's press release and list of  resources for homeowners.

On Friday, September 2nd, US Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced several ways the agency will be speeding federal disaster assistance to Vermont and providing support for displaced owners and renters.

The notice announces that HUD is:

This summer, Vermont Housing Finance Agency sent a targeted email to participating lenders and a network of Realtors across the state announcing a summer contest: for each one who clicked the email to “like” VHFA on Facebook, or signed up to follow our Housing Matters blog, they were entered into a drawing to win an Elite Keurig brewer and five boxes of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters coffee.