The Fair Housing Project (FHP) is pleased to announce that Jessica Hyman has joined the team as Education and Outreach Coordinator.

The FHP of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) is a statewide training, outreach and advocacy program that works with municipal officials, regional and municipal planners, housing developers, business leaders and the general public to help increase housing opportunities for persons in protected classes under fair housing laws, and to enhance inclusiveness of communities in Vermont. Jess joins FHP Director Ted Wimpey to work on the Housing and Urban Development-funded Thriving Communities: Building a Vibrant Inclusive Vermont campaign.

“We are very pleased to now have Jess Hyman, a highly skilled, well organized, and insightful new member of the FHP team,” Wimpey said. “Jess has hit the ground running and we are planning to ramp up the public outreach of our program.”

Jess is the recent executive director of the Vermont Community Garden Network, a statewide organization dedicated to the growth and success of community and school gardens, and a former community journalist and food systems researcher. She has a Master’s Degree in Community Development and Applied Economics from the University of Vermont. She is passionate about the importance of healthy and engaged communities and much of her professional career has been dedicated to helping people gain access to essential connections, learning opportunities, and technical assistance.

“My garden work with affordable housing sites, along with more than a decade of food security and food justice experience, instilled an understanding of the crucial role that safe and inclusive housing plays in bridging the opportunity gap,” Hyman said. “I look forward to learning more about the needs of the state’s housing communities and working with FHP’s partners to raise awareness and promote policies that support thriving communities all over Vermont.”

To learn more about FHP, visit https://www.cvoeo.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=dep_intro&dept_id=1 or https://www.thrivingcommunitiesvt.org/

To reach Jess, call (802) 660-3456, Ext. 110 or email jhyman@cvoeo.org