Tag Archives: Vermont

Housing Demystified Chapter 3: Affordable Housing in Vermont

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Chapter 1: The Crunch:

– What do we mean when we say “Vermont has a housing crisis?”

Chapter 2: Emergency housing:

–Resources for people who are homeless (including unsafely housed ) or at risk of becoming homeless

Chapter 3: What is affordable housing:

-What options are there for people who need help paying for their housing, but are not currently homeless?

Chapter 4- Avenues for Advocacy

– What can you do about the affordable housing shortage?

Affordable rental housing (public housing), housing subsidies, mobile homes and homeownership programs. 

When we talk about affordable housing, there is often confusion by what we mean. As we covered in Chapter 2 of Housing Demystified, people unfamiliar to the housing advocacy landscape may have some confusion about the difference between emergency housing options – such as shelters – and subsidized housing options, which offer more permanent, subsidized housing solutions. The important thing to remember as you read along is that affordable housing, like emergency housing, can look and be a lot of different things.

What is “affordable housing”?

ffordable housing is generally defined as housing where the resident is paying 30% or less of their household income on housing costs, but even this “rule” is not hard and fast. Most often when we talk about affordable housing, we are referring to subsidized rental housing. But affordable housing may also be “naturally occurring,” or developed privately without federal or state assistance. We will be focusing on intentionally developed affordable housing for this chapter.Some people use “subsidies,” or financial help, to assist in paying their rent. Subsidies can be attached to a particular building, so the “rental unit” or apartment is “subsidized” (project-based vouchers). Housing subsidies may be given to a tenant so that the tenant may use it for a rental of their choice (as is the case with a Housing Choice Voucher). Below we will cover both subsidized rental housing and tenant-based subsidies.

Types of Affordable Housing

Nonprofit Housing Providers: These are nonprofit organizations across Vermont that receive a variety of funding sources – private and public – which allows them to partner with housing developers to create housing*. Many of these programs provide both rental housing and homeownership programs. Almost all affordable housing providers have a significant waitlist, so would not be a place to go if you are currently in a housing crisis. While the map below includes some of the larger housing nonprofits and the regions they serve, you can access a searchable list of all the affordable housing options in Vermont at HousingData.org

*Some affordable housing providers also develop housing. Affordable housing development is complex, almost always is built with multiple funding streams, and are often partnerships between two or more developers and/or funders

  • Eligibility to live in affordable rental housing is determined by income, and affordable housing providers may have different requirements for eligibility.
  • Even within the the category of non-profit affordable rental housing, there are different kinds of housing providers
    • Vermont hosts a few housing trusts, such as Champlain Housing Trust and Windham and Windsor Housing Trust (among others). Housing trust funds are established sources of funding for affordable housing construction created by governments in the United States. Housing developed by housing trusts are permanently affordable.
    • Some affordable housing providers have specialized programs. Of course, there are affordable senior housing providers like Cathedral Square, housing programs for veterans, housing for people in recovery, and for folks with mobility impairments.
    • Even within senior housing, there are options:
      • Independent Living means that while a person may need to live in a community catered to their specialized needs -such as with other people who are 55 and older, or with other people who have assistive devices to move through the world (like wheelchairs, ventilators, or hearing aids), or with other people who have unique mental or emotional needs- they can meet their basic needs on their own. Independent Living facilities mean just that- each renter can choose when they have their meals, how they schedule their day, when they leave and return to their home. They are also responsible for their basic needs, such as keeping their apartment tidy, removing their garbage, preparing their own meals if they aren’t attending group meals, and arranging their own transportation to appointments.
      • Assisted Living describes housing where the resident needs more intensive care, oversight and support. Assisted living facilities can provide nursing care, housekeeping, and prepared meals as needed. Assisted Living housing is more structured than Independent Living, and may have a more rigidity in how a tenant schedules their day.
      • Memory Care facilities are a form of residential long-term care that provides intensive, specialized care for people with memory issues. Communities typically feature secure environments where staff can closely monitor the health of the residents.

Housing subsidies – such as the Housing Choice Voucher (otherwise known as Section 8 Voucher), and more recently the Cares Voucher Program- provide financial support for rental housing that the tenant can choose themselves, providing the rent falls within individual program guidelines and meets housing quality standards. Tenants with housing subsidies can rent from private or non-profit landlords. Most often, one would apply for housing subsidies through their local housing authority or Vermont State Housing Authority. 

  • Vermont Legal Aid has an in-depth, “plain language” description of how housing subsidies work here.
  • It is important to note that in Vermont, our state Fair Housing Protected Classes includes receipt of public assistance. This means that in Vermont, it is illegal to discriminate against folks because they are using a housing subsidy, including Housing Choice Vouchers (or Section 8), to afford their living expenses.

Public Housing Authorities (or PHA) are a form of affordable rental housing, sometimes referred to as “public housing” because they are financed by public funding.  Vermont has 8 regional Housing Authorities in Barre, Bennington, Brattleboro, Burlington, Montpelier, Rutland, Springfield, and Winooski, and one state housing authority. Housing Authorities provide affordable rental housing and Housing Choice (or Section 8) vouchers. Housing Authorities also provide project-based housing vouchers, or vouchers that are tied to specific properties.

How to Get Affordable Housing

Remember, if you or someone you know is at risk of losing housing now, contact your local Community Action Agency (Chapter 2 of Housing Demystified covers Community Action Agencies) or call 2-1-1 after hours or on the weekends

  • Do you already have a  housing agency or a site in mind you would like to work with? Reach out directly to that housing agency to ask about their availability and the length of their waitlist.  Almost all housing agencies have waitlists, so it’s best to apply to several options if your housing needs may become urgent in the near future. 
  • To find affordable rental housing, go to HousingData.org – select the region you are looking for, and on the side column you can select any needs you have for your housing. 
  • Once you have a few options selected, check to see if you meet the eligibility guidelines. You can check to see if you meet their Income Limits by using this HUD Income Limit Checker.  For properties with waitlists, call and ask to get on the waitlist, and ask how long they think it may be (they cannot know for sure). You should also ask if they know of availability at other properties.
  • Many affordable housing sites accept this Common Rental Application. If you are applying to more than one property, it may be helpful to have a few copies filled out in advance.

If you are facing barriers to finding housing, such as a past eviction, no landlord reference, or overcoming a criminal record, CVOEO’s Vermont Tenants’ Finding Housing Class goes over how to navigate these conversations and how to conduct an organized housing search.

Many people face barriers applying for affordable housing

The Finding Housing class may help navigate barriers to finding housing, but you don’t actually walk away from the class with housing options. Housing is limited and hard to find.

You may also notice it’s challenging to find affordable housing in Vermont if you aren’t able to do the following:

  • Speak English
  • Access to the internet, a computer, or a printer
  • Have a phone
  • Have a mailing address
  • Understand and navigate complex eligibility requirements and be an expert at their own income sources (for some people, that can be from a variety of subsidies which may or may not count toward income, including SSI, 3Squares, unemployment, ReachUp, and more)
  • Have the bandwidth to keep track of multiple housing opportunities
  • Understand rights under Fair Housing and Landlord-Tenant Law, and the confidence to enforce them

Still, having access to all those things does not ensure one’s access to housing.  We are in a tight housing market. That means that the people who already face high barriers to housing access and who have historically been denied equal access to housing opportunities have an even harder time getting the housing they need.

Need help finding housing?

So what do you do if you need help looking for housing? It depends on what barriers, or challenges, make it hard to apply for housing. If you have a caseworker, you can ask them what assistance they can offer in your housing search. You can also call 211 to ask what your best option might be. (211 can direct you to other resources as well, such as food, fuel assistance, transportation and more!)

  • Translation Services: Many housing providers offer translation and HUD requires that programs receiving federal funds provide “meaningful access” to Limited English Proficient (LEP) persons. In other words, if you or someone you know needs assistance understanding English to find and apply for housing, housing providers receiving federal funds should be able to offer extra support. And it doesn’t hurt to ask!
  • Disability: Vermont Center for Independent Living (VCIL) can help Vermonters with disabilities access housing, including offering housing support. Remember, disability can be broadly defined an mean a lot of different things. If the ways you think, communicate, process information or move substantially limits your “major life activities,” you should consider accessing resources through VCIL. Major life activities can include accessing housing, job opportunities, and getting meals.
  • Aging: We all age! And as we age, our abilities and needs change. Deciding when you need housing support and what that could look like can be hard. Our seniors came of age with different technologies than the ones we rely on today. Fortunately, Age Well Vermont has a hotline for seniors that you can call to talk about your options. You can call 800 642 5119.
  • Flight from domestic violence: Domestic Violence (DV) Organizations across Vermont support people fleeing domestic violence through their emergency hotlines, emergency housing programs, and assist program participants find stability through assisting with housing applications, cell phone access, clothing donation services, transportation access, legal services and more. 
    • We talked about Domestic Violence organizations as part of our coverage of Emergency Housing in Chapter 2.  
    • The Vermont Network lists DV organizations by county. 
    • In Vermont, the Fair Housing Act (briefly overviewed in Housing Demystified Chapter 1) includes protections for survivors of abuse, sexual assault, or stalking
    • The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) also offers additional support and protections to survivors of domestic violence. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a federal law that, in part, provides housing protections for people applying for or living in units subsidized by the federal government and who have experienced domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, to help keep them safe and reduce their likelihood of experiencing homelessness. Under VAWA, someone who has experienced domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking:
      • Cannot be denied admission to or assistance under a HUD-subsidized or assisted unit or program because of the VAWA violence/abuse committed against them.
      • Cannot be evicted from a HUD-subsidized unit nor have their assistance terminated because of the VAWA violence/abuse committed against them.
      • Cannot be denied admission, evicted, or have their assistance terminated for reasons related to the VAWA violence/abuse, such as having an eviction record, criminal history, or bad credit history.
      • Must have the option to stay in their HUD-subsidized housing, even if there has been criminal activity directly related to the VAWA violence/abuse.
      • Can request an emergency transfer from the housing provider for safety reasons related to the VAWA violence/abuse committed against them.
      • Must be allowed to move with continued assistance, if the survivor has a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher.
      • For more information on VAWA Housing Rights and to access the  Self-certification form (Form HUD-5382), visit here.
    • Remember, anyone can experience domestic violence. DV is a pattern of violence or intimidating behaviors that someone uses to have power and control over an intimate partner. Domestic violence includes physical violence, but also can be emotional, financial or sexual abuse. If you or someone you know is facing unstable housing because of unsafe behaviors of their partner, reach out to one of these organizations.
  • To that end, most emergency housing programs provide assistance and case management to help people shift into stable housing. Of course, as we covered in Chapter 2, to access those resources, most often you must meet HUD’s definition of homeless or at risk of homelessness. That means there is a large population of people who either cannot access those resources without falling into a more precarious situation than they are already in, or they cannot access those resources because of the stigma associated with the term “homeless.”

Affordable Homeownership

Vermont has various not-for-profit groups that help guide prospective homebuyers through the homeownership process. These groups provide classes and educational support on topics like home purchase budgeting, foreclosure prevention and mobile home repair.

NeighborWorks Alliance of Vermont

For the most part, these groups are a part of the NeighborWorks Alliance of Vermont. NeighborWorks is a national organization that provides resources, trainings, and networking to Vermont’s five regional homeownership organizations. You will notice that some of the same affordable rental housing providers also provide home ownership assistance, but not all do. Some offer special programs to support people traditionally excluded from housing opportunities, such as Champlain Housing Trust’s Home Ownership Equity Program for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), and Vermont Housing and Finance Agency (VHFA)’s First Generation Homebuyer Program.

Statewide Homeownership Programs

There are several organizations serving the full state of Vermont which offer home buying support.

  • Vermont Housing and Finance Agency (VHFA): Vermont Housing and Finance Agency, or VHFA, provides homebuyer programs, including down payment and closing cost assistance. VHFA works with individuals and banks to help people within a certain income bracket purchase their home with fixed interests rates and sometimes down payment assistance. They have several unique mortgage loan programs targeting specific potential home buyers. Prospective home buyers access these programs through one of the banks that VHFA partners with.
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Housing (USDA): The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Housing program of Vermont also provides homebuyer programs, but specifically in rural communities. Rural communities can have unique needs that make affordable housing challenging. For instance, mobile home communities often grant residents the comfort of home ownership, but residents most often are renting the land their home is on, which can make their needs often overlooked when it comes to state housing policies. Rural communities often lack the infrastructure to support housing development, such as sewer systems, and may have limited access to Wi-Fi and cellular service. These barriers are things to consider when we participate in housing advocacy. Tune in for Chapter 4
  • Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity serves Lamoille, Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties. Habitat for Humanity is an organization people are often most familiar with when we talk about affordable home ownership. That is in part because it is a international organization, and there are fulfilling opportunities to volunteer in the home construction process. But Habitat for Humanity also has a unique housing model in that the people who participate in the Habitat program are asked to participate in building the house. This is referred to as sweat equity. Habitat homebuyers help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Despite its name recognition and innovative model, the Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity has a limited scope of work. In 2023, the Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity has 7 projects planned, 5 single family homes and two duplexes.

Affordable Housing Funding

Affordable Housing can have very complex funding structures. The way a housing provider is funded will determine what the housing requirements are for the renter or buyer– that is a part of why affordable housing can have such complicated rules around eligibility. Affordable housing and homeownership programs can be funded by Federal, State, and private funding sources. Nowadays, most affordable housing is developed with a mix of all three.

This brings us to the next piece of the affordable housing landscape- affordable housing funders. As you can see from the chart above, our Vermont housing financiers can be designating funding from Federal, State, or private pots of money.

Vermont’s main affordable housing funding nonprofits are Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Evernorth Housing, and Vermont Housing and Finance Agency.

  • Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB): The Vermont Housing and Conservation board is a unique and powerful resource we have here in Vermont. It was established in the 80’s in a direct response to the ways much-needed housing development was often pitted against land and historical preservation. The Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust Fund Act was enacted in June 1987 with the dual goals of creating affordable housing for Vermonters, and conserving and protecting Vermont’s agricultural land, forestland, historic properties, important natural areas, and recreational lands are of primary importance to the economic vitality and quality of life of the State. VHCB continues to allocate State and Federal funds to nonprofits, towns and co-ops.
  • Evernorth Housing: Formerly Housing Vermont, Evernorth Housing now serves communities in New Hampshire and Maine as well as Vermont. Evernorth brings together experienced professional staff to raise capital, invest in and build affordable housing, strengthen the economy, and improve the environment through energy efficiency. They work with community banks and large financial institutions to raise money to finance affordable housing. Here in Vermont, you’ll notice Evernorth often works with our regional affordable housing providers, listed in the section above.
  • Vermont Housing and Finance Agency (VHFA): Established by the state legislature in 1974, VHFA promotes affordable housing opportunities for Vermonters. Each state has a Housing Finance Agency. In addition to their home ownership programs, VHFA administers the Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program (a Federal funding source) and the State Affordable Housing Tax Credit Program (revenue raised through the IRS). VHFA also provides financing, development and management support, subsidy administration and tax credits for approximately 8,800 affordable apartments statewide.

In addition, the USDA department of Rural Development, the Vermont State Housing Authority, and the Department of Housing and Community Development are state agencies responsible for allocated federal money.

In some cases, such as Vermont State Housing Authority, Rural Development, and Agency of Human Services, a tenant may receive a subsidy directly from an organization that finances the development of affordable housing. But in most cases, a tenant or potential homebuyer works with either their regional affordable rental housing provider or their regional home ownership center. Now that we have shared an overview of affordable housing, here is the Vermont Housing Resource Chart, last published by the Vermont State Housing Authority in 2019  (click for details). It’s complex!

Three points of note: Notice the second column lists population served. This describes the specifications of who the housing is served.

Income guidelines: As we now know, income guidelines can be specific, can change over the years, and are often govern by the sources of funding the housing provider receives.

Portability: Recall that some housing subsidies can be travel with the tenant, and some are site-specific, meaning they stay with a unit of a building. In this column, you can see where these vouchers can be used or if they stay with a unit.

Next Up: Housing Advocacy

Affordable housing is complicated! But having a basic understanding of our affordable housing system is important to do the advocacy we urgently need. Don’t get discouraged if this is a lot to take in- it is for everyone, and many of us become more familiar with our regional infrastructure as we engage with our affordable housing network over time.

Stay tuned for the final chapter of Housing Demystified, Chapter 4, to be published this winter, 2023.

Affordable housing is complicated! But having a basic understanding of our affordable housing system is important to do the advocacy we urgently need. Don’t get discouraged if this is a lot to take in- it is for everyone, and many of us become more familiar with our regional infrastructure as we engage with our affordable housing network over time.

Stay tuned for the final chapter of Housing Demystified, Chapter 4, to be published at the end of Summer 2023.

Housing Demystified Chapter 2: Emergency Housing

Homelessness, housing demystified, resources, , , ,

Chapter 1: The Crunch:

–What do we mean when we say “Vermont has a housing crisis?”

Chapter 2: Emergency housing:

=> Resources for people who are experiencing homelessness (including unsafely housed ) or at risk of becoming homeless

Chapter 3: What is affordable housing?

-What options are there for people who need help paying for their housing, but are not currently homeless?

Chapter 4- Avenues for Advocacy

– What can you do about the affordable housing shortage?

Housing is a surprisingly complex topic. When we talk about housing and housing insecurity, we can be referring to different pieces of the housing landscape. For instance, an organization providing affordable housing is often distinct from an organization providing emergency shelter. But to connect to the proper resource, we need to first have a vocabulary for the different categories that exist within the field of housing advocacy and housing access. Generally, housing conversations fall into three categories:

  • Emergency Housing & Homelessness Assistance – Shelters, Community Action, General Assistance program
  • Affordable Housing– Affordable rental housing, housing subsidies, and first-time homeownership programs. 
  • Advocacy, Development and Finance– Regional, State, and Federal avenues for advocacy, organizations providing housing advocacy, housing financiers and housing developers

Equity, inclusion & housing choice:

When we talk about housing access, we need to approach each resource from the lens of Equity, Inclusion, and Housing Choice. In Chapter 1 we highlighted why housing choice is important, but recognized many are not able to access their right to equal opportunity and choice in securing housing. In particular, we need to recognize that BIPOC renters are often excluded from equal opportunity to housing due to historically racist housing policies, and present day biases which continue in our housing practices.

Before we cover the differences between these housing programs, an important reminder: If you currently need help finding housing or paying your rent, contact your local Economic Services Department (ESD)(The number for the Statewide ESD call center is 1-800-479-6151) or call 2-1-1 after hours or on the weekends

If you have received an eviction notice, seek assistance immediately with Vermont Legal Aid.

Emergency Housing & Homelessness Assistance – Shelters, Community Action, General Assistance program

Often when we hear about housing limitations, we hear about it from the lens of homelessness. For people currently without housing or who have received an unexpected termination of tenancy notice, we have emergency housing programs. A wide variety of organizations including state government, local government and non-profit organizations assist persons at risk of homelessness or currently experiencing homelessness. The type of assistance varies based on your unique circumstances. Assistance can include emergency sheltering for individuals or families, food, job training, and assistance specifically for homeless veterans or folks fleeing domestic violence.

In the world of housing emergencies, the services can be split into two general categories based on the following question:

Do you need an immediate place to stay tonight?

or

Are you looking to get or keep housing?

A note on language: 

Generally, to receive what we call “emergency housing” services, we say a person has to be “homeless.” HUD (the United States Department of Housing & Urban Development ) has a very specific definition of homelessness, divided into four categories.

  • Category 1, Literally Homeless: an individual who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence
  • Category 2, Imminent Risk of Homelessness: an individual or family who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence. “Imminently” means very soon, in this case specifically within 14 days of applying for homeless assistance.
  • Category 3, Homeless under other Federal Statutes: This is a complicated category, which includes unaccompanied youth who are younger than 25, or families with children who do not otherwise qualify as homeless under this definition but who:
    • have not had a lease, ownership interest, or occupancy agreement in permanent housing during the 60 days before they submit an application for homelessness assistance. For instance, a verbal agreement within that 60 day window might make people in this category ineligible to receive homelessness assistance.
    • Have experienced “persistent housing instability.” Persistent housing instability is further defined as two or more moves within the 60 days leading up to the application for assistance.
    • And lastly, the person(s) must also be expected to continue in this unstable state for an extended period of time due to special needs or barriers to qualify for this category
  • Category 4, Fleeing/ Attempting to Flee Domestic Violence: Any person or family who is fleeing or trying to flee a domestic violence situation, without an alternative place to live or the resources to get alternative housing fits into this category.

We learned in Chapter 1 , while covering the Point In Time count, that folks without housing are more than the people in shelters, cars, and campers. There can be overcrowding situations, couch surfing, and other circumstances that may change suddenly for anyone. Living in a precarious or unsafe housing situation, for some, may be easier than identifying with the term “homeless,” and facing the stigma often associated with houselessness. For those of us who are advocates, we are charged with the responsibility to shed light on the shortage and inequities in our housing landscape, which bar people from their basic right to housing for no fault of their own. It is important to remember that houselessness and housing precarity can come up in a lot of different ways, and it can change from one day to the next.

Shelters

Shelters are temporary housing options for people with immediate housing needs. This list covers shelters across the state. Shelters can sometimes be specific in who they serve- for instance, some shelters are for children and family, and some provide housing for people fleeing domestic violence. Shelter availability can fill up quickly, so it’s important to call 211 if seeking shelter.

General Assistance/ Emergency Assistance Program

You might wonder how 11 shelters can house the 2,780 Vermonters who experienced “literal homelessness” during the Point in Time Count last year (2022). Short answer- they can’t! That is why we also have what’s called the “General Assistance Program” and the “Emergency Assistance Program.” Administered by the Economic Services Division (ESD) within the Department for Children and Families (DCF), the General Assistance Program (GA) is an emergency financial assistance program providing the basic necessities of life when those needs cannot be met by any other assistance program within DCF. These state programs essentially allow people without housing, and who meet specific, state-designated requirements, to access emergency, temporary housing through a motel-voucher program for participating motels.

The eligibility for these programs change with each legislative session, and generally fall into three categories: Vulnerable Population, Catastrophic, and Adverse Weather. But even these programs can fill up. You can check the Housing Capacity by region for the GA program on DCF’s Website here. On the day I wrote this blog- a weekday in February of 2023 – the capacity for most GA Emergency Housing is “none” with some regions listed as “extremely limited.” Folks without cars may have to travel long hours on buses to find a place to sleep that night. Some people’s only option is to find the closest thing to shelter that they can- beneath the eaves of a building, in their car, an enclosed ATM machine, a public bathroom.

Community Action Agencies

Community Action Agencies and other Homelessness Prevention Centers provide the much needed support for people at risk of houselessness or exiting homelessness. Vermont has 5 Community Action Agencies (including CVOEO, where we are located):

BROC - Community Action in Southwestern Vermont logo

BROC – Community Action in Southwestern Vermont
45 Union Street, Rutland, VT 05701
(802) 775-0878 • 1-800-717-2762

Capstone Community Action logo

Capstone Community Action
20 Gable Place, Barre, VT 05641
(802) 479-1053 • 1-800-639-1053

Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) logo

Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO)
255 South Champlain Street, Burlington, VT  05402
(802) 862-2771 • 1-800-287-7971

Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NEKCA) logo

Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NEKCA)
10 Main Street, Newport, VT 05855-5110
(802) 334-7316 (Newport)
(802) 748-6040 (St. Johnsbury)

Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) logo

Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA)
91 Buck Drive, Westminster, VT  05158
(802) 722-4575 • 1-800-464-9951


Community Action Agencies are a very important piece of Vermont’s resources for financial stability. Established through the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and financed by state and private funding, these agencies provide programs and serves to Vermonters with low or moderate income. Programs and services include financial stability (including classes on credit and budgeting and coaching of micro businesses), Head Start and services for parents, community advocacy programs (such as the Housing Advocacy Program and Voices against Violence), resources for food access and food security, energy assistance programs (such as crisis fuel assistance and weatherization services), and housing assistance.

On Housing Assistance & Community Action Agencies:

Community Action teams providing housing assistance – a critical part of Vermont’s housing support services- work with individuals and families who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness.  While housing insecurity can be complex, nuanced and deeply personal, to receive their services you must meet the federal definition of homelessness or at risk of homelessness. As we covered above, that definition is very specific and not very flexible. To access Community Action resources, you must be:

  • Literally Homeless
  • Imminent Risk of Homelessness
  • Homeless under other Federal statutes
  • Fleeing/ Attempting to Flee Domestic Violence
  • (described in greater detail here):

Importantly, Community Action Agencies do not provide emergency housing assistance. That is why we emphasize that people seeking emergency shelter contact your local Economic Services Department (ESD).  (The number for the Statewide ESD call center is 1-800-479-6151) or call 2-1-1 after hours or on the weekends

Housing navigation is available to help secure affordable housing and, if eligible, to provide assistance for security deposits, rental assistance or rental arrearage.

You can locate the community action agency that serves your community here:

Continuum of Care

What is a Continuum of Care?
A “CoC” consists of a partnership of service & resource providers, housing developers, state agencies, and others in the homelessness or low-income service system in a geographic region. This is a network of organizations, which work together to:

  • CoCs monitor and address housing and service gaps through proactive solutions;
  • Conduct an annual homeless count;
  • Coordinate efforts with the statewide planning body.

The Continuum of Care Program is a HUD program “designed to promote community wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness.” HUD recognizes two Vermont CoCs, which provide  both planning initiatives to end homelessness, as well as funding to organizations working to end homeless.

Vermont Balance of State CoC: The Vermont Balance of State COC covers all of Vermont except Chittenden County. The two “applicants” to receive the CoC funds from HUD are the Vermont State Housing Authority and the Office of Economic Opportunity. The Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness (an organization we will talk about in greater detail in Chapter Four, as a part of our coverage on housing advocacy) is the “governing body” of the Balance of State CoC.

  • Underneath the umbrella of the Balance of State CoC are eleven local Continuum of Cares which serve the regions across Vermont, besides Chittenden County. These local CoCs do not provide funding. To learn more about CoC’s, you can visit the Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness’ website here

Chittenden County Homeless Alliance: Chittenden County has its own CoC, which is recognized by HUD, does provide funding, but is not overseen by the Balance of State CoC.  Chittenden County is served by the Chittenden County Homeless Alliance, also know as CCHA, “the Alliance,” and the Chittenden CoC.

  • Chittenden County has the greatest housing shortage, the lowest vacancy rate, and the easiest access to resources through its higher density city-centers as well as its more robust bus line. For some in our state, this may be perceived as a sign that Chittenden County has a greater homelessness problem than the rest of the state. The reality is that many people receiving homelessness assistance in Chittenden County come from rural communities. This unequal distribution of resources is part of the reason our lowest income community members, our most vulnerable community members, and those of our neighbors who have been denied the right to homeownership and wealth accumulation are not able to have choice in where they live. In Chapter 4, we will take a deeper dive in why our housing resources are not equally distributed, and what we can do to address it.

What if I have an urgent rental-housing question, but I am not homeless or at risk of houselessness?

For immediate questions about your tenancy, you can call the CVOEO Vermont Tenants statewide hotline at (802) 864-0099 (interpretation available on request – please leave a message with name, phone number and the language needed). For more information about tenant and fair housing rights and responsibilities, CVOEO’s Housing Advocacy Program has a host of resources, including free on-demand and drop-in workshops, printed and digital educational material, and can always refer callers to the appropriate resource if our services do not meet yur need. (Translated resources are available here)

These services are part of the Housing Advocacy Program of CVOEO. We will be sharing information about CVOEO’s Housing Advocacy Program, including Vermont Tenants, the Mobile Home Program, and the Fair Housing Project, in greater depth in Chapter 4 (link) of Housing Demystified. 

Emergency housing is a critical part of our state’s network of housing resources, but addressing our housing needs requires more than just emergency housing programs.

Tune in for Chapter 3 to learn more about affordable rental housing (public housing), housing subsidies, mobile homes and homeownership programs. 

Thank You for Another Successful Fair Housing Month

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We couldn’t be more grateful for the conversations we had throughout Fair Housing Month in April. We talked about how public spaces contribute to the sense of belonging, how we can reach a wider audience through creative forms of community engagement, the ways opportunities for resident feedback in how we shape our home & community spaces can foster a sense of agency– and so much more. We received countless responses to our HeART & Home Art prompts, illustrating how we each think of home, so much more than the shelter-structure. We have enjoyed seeing you in parks, laundromats, statewide calls in the digital space, breweries, in passing in our hallways and on our sidewalks. And we also appreciate the quiet listeners, tuning in from your work day when you can, sharing the events and activities in your communities.

Each year, our work grows

Each year, the network of Fair Housing Month partners grows, allowing this work to reach more people across the state. Almost 200 people participated in the CVOEO lead workshops, community conversations, Fair Housing Friday discussions, art events, and countless other educational activities, and hundreds more were engaged by partners across the state. We distributed more than 1,100 HeART & Home Art kits to invite reflection on the foundation that home provides to all of our lives, and how important it is to have agency in our home-space to accommodate our unique, individual ways of living.

These activities went far beyond the basics of fair housing and included discussion on ways to make our towns and cities more welcoming, issues related to housing access and homelessness, and how to address community housing needs. 

Here are a couple of highlights that were recorded:

  • The  Community Day of Action press event included compelling explanations about the connection between green space, equity, and a sense of community. You can watch the recording here  (also linked above!)
  • The Vocabulary of Home conversation at Contois Auditorium highlighted the importance of talking about affordable housing from the lens of “home,” and the voices of the people who live there. CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project joined Burlington’s Special Assistant to End Homelessness Sarah Russell at Contois Auditorium for a discussion on how we talk about housing and homelessness. Wearing both her “housing hat” and “artist hat,”  CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project’s Corrine Yonce used images from her public art, lessons from the HeART & Home art responses, and anecdotes from residents in affordable housing to highlight the complexities in our housing language.  You can watch that recording here.
  • We had another round of stellar Fair Housing Friday discussions, featuring voices of resident engagement coordinators, affordable housing residents, community artists, media makers and organizers, city planners, advocates– and more! These are out-of-the-box creative discussions about the state’s housing needs, avenues for directly involving the people living in affordable housing, and how we think about home and community as a state. You can find those recordings, along with a archive of past Fair Housing Fridays, here.
  • We hosted an art opening at King St Laundry as part of a public art series, where we talked about the role public art plays in furthering equality in our housing landscape, and how public spaces can act as an extension of our homes.
  • One rainy Saturday evening, CVOEO Fair Housing Project, along with the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition and Main Street Landing, closed out a month of activities with a housing social followed by the film The Pursuit of Happyness. 

An Abundance of Gratitude

We want to give a special shout out to the Fair Housing Friday guest panelists:

Meaghan Tedder, of Evernorth Housing, Will Condry and Jennifer Herrera Condry  of Juniper Creative Arts, Sal Millichamp, of Laurentide – thank you for sharing your insights on how we can engage the people we house in their shared and private spaces. 
  • This was a rich conversation between community artists, resident service providers, and residents living in affordable housing, with specific insight on not just how to engage residents in the design of their home spaces, but how resident feedback can make our work as housing providers more efficient. You can find the recording here.
Jordyn Fitch & Maeve Littau of Junction Arts Media – thank you for sharing your documentary, your voice and your perspective on this topic! Your work documenting the housing landscape in Connecticut River Valley region comes a critical time to listen to the people most impact by our housing shortage. 
  • Jordyn and Maeve’s shared unique perspective comes in the midst of a string of housing events hosted by Junction Arts and Media, including a documentary screening of Racist Trees and an art exhibit, Redlining Our Souls. Learn more here.  You can catch their Fair Housing Friday discussion here.
To John Haffner of Vital Communities, and Meagan Tuttle & Sarah Morgan of the Burlington Office of City Planning, and Beth Whitlock representing Hinesburg Housing Committee – thank you for sharing how the ways we talk about housing can inform the ways communities think about and engage with housing, and for introducing tools to expand our housing vocabulary.
  • The panelists covered a lot of ground related to this topic, from the ways assumptions about “Vermont communities” may limit us from meeting our housing needs to the surprising ways Vermont downtown centers historically met many of the smart growth goals we strive for today.  You can find the full recording here.

We also want to extend our deepest gratitude to our Fair Housing Month partners, including Vital Communities and the White River Valley Consortium for bringing Fair Housing education and HeART & Home art kits to welcome in new members of the Rochester community, and to the Home Creators Expo. We thank all the libraries who hosted workshops, art activities, and educational information, and the Vermont Department of Libraries for connecting us to these incredible resources across the state. Thank you to Junction Arts & Media, Randolph Area Community Development, RuralEdge, Vermont LegalAid, CEDO, ONE Arts, Vermont Human Rights Commission, the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, Burlington REIB and the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition for helping us reach as many Vermonters as we can with our Fair Housing Month programming.

And a huge thank you to all of our sponsors: Champlain Housing Trust, Cathedral Square, Evernorth, Farrell Properties, Main Street Landing, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Pomerleau Real Estate, Redstone, Vermont State Housing Authority, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, and Vermont Housing Finance Agency

The work is Far From Over

Finally, we remind ourselves that this work is far from over. Fair Housing Month activities wrapped up in advance of 1,800 Vermonter facing imminent displacement, 600 of whom are children, many of whom have serious health requirements – like access to ventilation equipment and regular nursing needs – many of whom are fleeing domestic violence, and who disproportionately represent the members of our community traditionally denied equal opportunity to housing. Renters face rising rent costs despite wages not growing in proportion, in the midst of an unprecedented housing shortage. Black and Brown Vermonters continue to rely on rental housing at a far greater rate than white Vermonters, who are also privileged with greater access to home ownership. Renters are not afforded Just Cause eviction protections in most of the state, and more than half of renters are cost burdened by their rental cost, thus resigned to a sense of precarity. Our dire housing landscapes calls us to continue to have these conversations, which outline creative, innovative, and new ways to address a growing problem.

Our “Housing Language”

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As someone who has attended many housing conversations over the past decade, there are many housing-takes I am well acquainted with. If you’re a housing advocate, this is probably true for you, too.

We are all familiar with the proverbial “three legged stool” of affordable housing (capital investments, financial assistance, and supportive services), the plight of housing being siloed from other social service sectors, Vermont’s aging demographics, and smart-growth practices. If one were to create a housing bingo card, terms like “Frannie Mae and Freddie Mac,” “multi-family housing,” and “Act 250″ would surely make it into squares. Combined with our notorious  habit of referring to the numerous housing nonprofits, agencies, and other entities by their acronyms, the world of housing has developed its own language. If you are anyone outside of our insular bubble, however, all this terminology likely requires some translation.

Last year, we shared this post “Housing Committees & Citizen Housing Advocacy.  Our intent for the guide was to encourage participation in local housing committees by everyday people who can speak to the individual, specific needs of the community members most impacted by our housing shortage. But if we don’t make the “language” of housing more accessible, can we rely on community-driven change by our housing committees and review boards?

Opportunities for community engagement in the policies we implement as towns, cities, and states are in place with the belief that they create avenues for community members to ensure their needs and shared spaces are not steamrolled by national, government policies.

We know that all cities and towns don’t have the same needs, and a single overseeing organization could not possibly know what those needs are. We also know the history of our federal and state governments creating intentionally discriminatory policies with the intent of disinvesting from Black and Brown communities, and segregating their members from white communities. This is to say that existing regulations, like the National Environmental Protection Act, are intended to further our democracy through community participation.

What ends up happening however, as this NYTimes podcast points out, is that the marginalized communities intended to benefit from these policies are not the ones actually using them. It is the people with the privilege of access to these avenues who are most readily able to voice their concerns — people who have the time to do the research and commit to the meetings, the backgrounds to understand the language, access to the meetings space through transportation or technology, familiarity with governance protocols, and the personal interest to “protect” their stakes in their neighborhood. 

In recent years, housing advocates have recognized this pattern. Already, there are creative solutions emerging across Vermont to bring the housing conversation to the people passionate about housing justice, but lacking avenues to make an impact.

Housing for All Summit

The Fair Housing Project joined Vital Communities and Keys to the Valley for the  recent Homes for All Summit, a conversation on how to meet the housing needs of the Upper Valley Region of Vermont. 

Together, we discussed housing solutions, projects, and challenges Upper Valley communities are facing. John Haffner, manager of Vital Communities Housing and Transportation program, emphasized the need to change our vernacular when we talk about housing and communities in Vermont’s more rural spaces. 

Two photos from the Upper Valley region appeared on Haffner’s screen. To the left, an idyllic single-family house with a red barn, surrounded by rolling pastures and foliage-adorned hills. To the right positioned a black and white photo of a bustling city center, complete with front-facing businesses, topped by apartment rentals and connected by walkable roads.

From the Housing for All Summit, Haffner illustrates how historical city centers depict contemporary housing values

 

Haffner argued that not everyone can live in the single family home, abutted by the red barn and rolling pastures that comes up when you google “Vermont Upper Valley,” as he revealed was the case with the Norwich-based photo on the left. However, dense, walkable town-centers are just as much a part of Vermont’s historical “character.” The right-hand photograph Haffner reveals as Lebanon town from the early 1900’s, ironically encompassing our new urban ideals over a hundred years past. The strongest resistance to building the housing we need is often in the name of preserving the character of our communities. But character becomes distilled into a series of images that may not actually represent the true diversity of our Vermont neighborhoods. Housing advocates are charged with shifting our shared perception of what it looks like to live in the Upper Valley region of Vermont. 

In Burlington, the Department of City Planning Brings the Housing Conversation to the Community

Up in the Chittenden County region of our state, housing advocates deal with distinctly different housing needs, but are facing a similar problem: community resistance to building in their neighborhoods. Can you shift the way a community thinks about their current housing landscape, its history, and its future over a series of public forums?

Burlington’s Department of City Planning is responding to Vermont’s most acute housing shortage, where recent vacancy rates have dropped to 0.4% for rental housing overall, and as little as 0% for three bedroom apartments. One of the zoning blocks they are charged with reviewing is the South End, the Pine Street corridor which includes Burlington’s Arts District.

City Planning staff members Meagan Tuttle and Charles Dillard are tiptoeing in delicate territory, however. With the area only recently formally recognized by the city in 2010 as the Arts District, artists have been organizing in the remains of Burlington’s manufacturing companies for over 30 years. Artists are credited with revitalizing a part of town zoned only for manufacturing, and bringing some of the “funky personality” that we associate with Burlington today. But in 2015 when Burlington proposed housing in that area, the businesses and artists organized against it with some success. Today, under the guidance of Tuttle and Dillard, the rezoning proposal looks a little different. They have identified what is termed the “Innovation District,” a small parcel of land near the Arts District that would benefit the community with more housing. 

The Planning Department of Burlington was cautious and strategic in how they engaged the community around this potential change to regional zoning. A series of interactive Q&A’s allowed residents to ask questions about the proposed change, and to voice their needs for the community, including an interactive map which people could add notes to. The team was a frequent visitor at the Farmers Market, a well-attended community event that takes place in the Arts District. 

Is it possible to talk about zoning, but make it fun?

At the start of last month, the Burlington Department of Planning hosted a trivia night at Burlington Beer company. The audience was an even split of housing advocates, curious for “fun” ways to consider housing policies, and patrons, entertained by the prospect of trivia while enjoying a drink. Surely, there has never been a moment in Vermont’s history where the conversation of zoning was accompanied by so much laughter. Hosts asked questions like, “how many units are in each building?” showing an array of “charming” homes that had been subdivided into multi-family housing. Between questions that invited audiences to reflect on the history of Burlington’s housing policies, moderators encouraged the audience to reflect on how different neighborhoods in Burlington were more or less inclusive. “As we play this game, think about how Vermont has both one of the oldest housing stocks in the country, and continues to be one of the whitest states in the country.”


Noteworthy in the outreach methods of Burlington’s Office of City Planning is their visual iconography. If one is asked to draw a picture representing “home” (as we often prompt Fair Housing Month participants to do at CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project), most of the time, it is depicted as the iconic square topped by a triangle. This is true even if the artist themselves does not live in a place represented as such, with the exception being when participants are invited to consider home from a deeper, more personal lens, as with this Bent Northrop Fair Housing Month submission. Burlington’s City Planners know that the iconic “single-family” two bedroom house is not what most Burlington community members live in, and so they hired local artist Jodi Whalen to depict the specific, unique architecture of buildings in Burlington. Whalen’s drawings include some of the quirky apartments featured in the trivia slides- which appear as a single home, but pack extra apartments in the back – as well as the newer, high-density builds that are cropping up in the city today. We reached out to Whalen to hear more about the process of creating the illustrations.

Office of City Planning hires local illustrator to depict a wide variety of Burlington homes
Office of City Planning hires local illustrator to depict a wide variety of Burlington homes

I moved to Burlington from Pennsylvania in 1991, and have lived in the Old North End, Downtown, the New North End, and the South End. I love not just the unique architecture of the city, but also the way people make their houses their homes. I love to ride my bike around town to catch glimpses of porch gardens, little free libraries, sunflowers in green belts, and other touches that bring these old homes new life. In my illustrations, I like to add whimsical colors and patterns to add even more of the fun Burlington spirit to the homes.

-Jodi Whalen, on her illustrations for the City of Burlington Department of Planning

This is just a taste of some of the creative approaches to shift our housing “vernacular” as towns, cities, and a state. Tune into our Vermont Housing Conference post for highlights on other creative takes to inviting more community members into the housing conversation!

 

 

 

 

Fair Housing Month Recap:

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Thank you for celebrating Fair Housing Month this past April with the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO and statewide partners. This year’s Fair Housing Month was full of community and creative activities all over the state. More than 1,800  people participated in virtual workshops, community conversations via Zoom, Fair Housing Friday discussions, art projects, and other events. These activities went far beyond the basics of fair housing and included discussion on ways to make our towns and cities more welcoming, issues related to housing access and homelessness, and how to address community housing needs. 

Here’s an overview of the month’s activities and links to event recordings, and more information:

  • ART: A new partnership with Arts So Wonderful brought Fair Housing curriculum to its youth-lead Youth On Boards event, and invited artists to depict their visions of thriving inclusive communities through visual art, poetry, and music. You can check out their submissions here. And congratulations to Norzin Mentsang, Celeste Forcier and Brynn Barrett, the first, second and third prize winners for the art contest! 
  • The HeART & Home Community Art Project included home-based activities that communities and families participated in across the state.
    • 26 libraries and 14 housing and community sites distributed nearly 1,000 art kits containing watercolor paints and brushes, collage cut-outs, thoughtful prompts, and fair housing resources. 
    • The Bent Northrop Memorial Library partnered  with the Fairfield Center School and the Northwest Regional Planning Commission to distribute art kits and host an exhibit at art reception at the library. You can view some photos of the more than 50 pieces of art on display at the library here!
    • In partnership with the Vermont Garden Network, we provided HeART & Home art kits  to the community of South Meadow (an affordable housing site off of Pine Street in Burlington), where residents and volunteers were building a natural playscape. Families and children took  breaks from the project  to reflect on home and housing through art.
    • CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project displayed newly designed panels featuring updated protected class iconography, ways to become an advocate, and a brief history of Fair Housing at Burlington City Hall. You can see these panels (with original art by Corrine Yonce) here. 
  • LIBRARY EVENTS: We again partnered with the Vermont Department of Libraries to bring Fair Housing curriculum across the state. Libraries are essential centers of our communities, providing physical and virtual spaces for information, support, and connections. In addition to accessing art kits, children and adults from all over the state took part in StoryWalks and joined Fair Housing book groups, including Story Boat by Kyo Maclear, Evicted by Matthew Desmond, and Race for Profit by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. 
    • CVOEO also facilitated the continuation of the Vermont Department of Library housing discussion series, joined by the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition,  the Vermont Human Rights Commission, and Vermont Legal Aid to discuss housing justice, the how the state is addressing the current housing crisis, and how librarians can best connect people who are experiencing evictions to local and statewide resources and service. Watch the recording and access the resources here.
    • ONGOING: See the Fair Housing resources for libraries, including a reading list, here 
  • WORKSHOPS: An assortment of workshops offered deep dives into discrimination and equity with opportunities for the general public, landlords, and municipal officials to learn about fair housing rights and responsibilities and discuss issues related to harassment and hate crimes. 
  • FAIR HOUSING FRIDAYS: These sessions are discussions among affordable housing advocates, community leaders, policymakers, and service providers about housing inclusivity. The interactive conversations provide a space to reflect on what we are doing in our community that is working to further housing equity and what policies out there might we consider to do better as housing experts, legislators, advocates, and community members. This year’s topics were Is Building More the Cure?, The Opportunities and Challenges of Mobile Home Communities, and Why Aren’t We Building the Housing We Need? Watch the recording here.
  • VERMONT AFFORDABLE HOUSING COALITION EVENTS:
    • VAHC April Community Meeting Community Meeting: #Housed802 meetings are an opportunity for VAHC to facilitate a discussion with community members about legislative opportunities to advocate for affordable, inclusive housing. You can find the recording here.
    • In the House: In this episode of the monthly VAHC hosted conversation, VAHC Director David Martins has a conversation with Jess Hyman from CVOEO about Fair Housing Month: What is it? Where does it come from? What does it have to do with Vermonters in 2022? You can find the recording here. 

The Fair Housing Act, passed in April 1968, put into law critical protections against discrimination and harassment in housing and sought to repair and redress historical patterns of housing segregation. April was a time to celebrate these protections and highlight the positive and essential role that affordable, inclusive housing plays in our communities. However, it’s important to recognize that exclusion and discrimination still exist in Vermont and that we must continue the fight to ensure that everyone has access to safe, stable, and affordable homes, free from discrimination, exclusion, and harassment.

Where we live matters – it’s connected to how we get to work, access healthcare, where our children go to school, and our physical environment. Stable, safe, and affordable homes provide the foundation for vibrant and thriving communities and there is a strong correlation between housing opportunity and health disparities, especially for people of color and others who experience discrimination. This has been especially relevant during the pandemic and we will continue to see these inequities as pandemic-related housing supports are reduced. 

 What is Fair Housing?

Fair Housing is the right to equal opportunity in housing choice and the right to rent, buy, or live in a dwelling free from discrimination. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and family status. Vermont has additional protections based on age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, receipt of public assistance, being a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and denial of development permitting based on the income of prospective residents. For more information about fair housing in Vermont, visit www.cvoeo.org/FHP, call 802-660-3456 x 106, or email fhp@cvoeo.org.

Thank you to our Fair Housing Month Partners and Sponsors!

Fair Housing Month activities in Vermont are coordinated by the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO, in collaboration with Vermont Department of Libraries, Vermont Library Association, ONE Arts Center, Arts So Wonderful, Burlington City Arts, Vermont Legal Aid, Vermont Human Rights Commission,

Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, CEDO, Vermont Garden Network, and other partners. 

These activities are made possible with the support of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Library activities are supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency, through the Library Service and Technology Act as administered by the Vermont Department of Libraries.

We are grateful to these “Champions of Affordable, Inclusive Housing” event sponsors: Farrell Properties, Vermont State Housing Authority, Redstone, Main Street Landing, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Evernorth, Cathedral Square, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, and Pomerleau Real Estate. 

In (or Out of) “The Zone”

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This guest blog post features Mark Demers, Landlord Liaison at the Champlain Valley of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO). Mark helps build relationships with landlords across Chittenden County so that we at CVOEO can strengthen our practices of assisting people with their housing needs. Mark reflects on the way zoning laws can be restrictive to inclusive housing, and the impact that might have on the overall community.  Zoning laws have been used to restrict affordable housing and perpetuate the racial wealth gap. Historically, this has been intentional, with the “protection” that he refers to in his letter being for white people. If you are interested in digging deeper into the topic of zoning and equity, this webinar hosted by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University is a good place to start.

In (or Out of) “The Zone”

I walked into the bedroom and saw my three-year-old sitting on the floor with his back up against his bed, his knees pulled up tight to his chest. His ten-year-old brother with whom he shared the room, was seated at a desk working on a model airplane.

“Why don’t you play with your toys?” I asked the little one.

“I can’t play with my toys,” he said.

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t go past the line to get them.”

I learned that a policy had recently been put in force in the bedroom. The three-year-old was allowed to be in the room as long as he stayed on his “side”, which consisted of the real estate bordered by the wall his bed rested against and a line that ran parallel, about two feet away from the edge of the bed where he currently was sitting. The line was invisible; but it was rigorously enforced by the older brother. The youngest had access to about 15% of the space in the room. He was granted a right-of-way from the door of the bedroom to his “side”.

My youngest was experiencing the inequity of an unjust zoning ordinance – a policy over which he had little control and less say.

In her book “Fixer Upper”, Jenny Schuetz lays significant blame for the current housing crunch across the nation on zoning laws that are as restrictive as they are complicated. Communities are diverse in both their demography and their geography, thus the plethora of zoning not just from one town to another, but from one neighborhood to the next. Burlington is no exception.

Who can be expected to remember the difference between the NMU and the NAC; or the NAC-RC and the NAC-CR? We have RH’s, RM’s, RM-Ws, RL’s and RL-W’s. Each of these designate specific sections of the city and are accompanied by regulations for what can or cannot be built within their boundaries.

Zoning laws are designed to protect something – like wetlands or waterfronts or fabulous views or recreation areas. They protect the character of neighborhoods, keeping them “low density” (“RL”) or “historic” in appearance. Unfortunately, as my youngest son experienced, these laws can do more than protect resources or appearances. They become barriers – as impermeable as they are invisible – that prevent the construction of needed housing or prohibit certain people from living there.

We don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We don’t have to look far to see what happens when polluting activities are allowed to go unrestrained on fragile lands. The clean-up takes years and costs millions. We also have to ask ourselves the question: Do we want our children to be able to afford to live here? Burlington doesn’t have room to “build out” and if I read our current zoning laws right, there are not many places where we can “build up”. Something is going to have to give.

I don’t envy those in power faced with the task of mitigating the current housing crisis. My three-year-old son had the benefit of a dad whose authority was enough to adjust oppressive lines that had been arbitrarily set by the bedroom zoning ordinance. The lines drawn in and between our neighborhoods present more of a challenge. They have the power of decades of inertia behind them. But if we are going to have housing that is affordable, sustainable, and environmentally responsible, some of those lines are going to have to move. That’s not just a job for civic leaders; it’s a project that will demand careful thought, compromise – and dare I say it – sacrifice from us all.

 

If you are a landlord or property manager or want to comment on this article, please feel free to give me a call – 863-6248  x 755 or send me an email – mdemers@cvoeo.org.

Fair Housing Friday: “Is Building More the Cure?”

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Our last #FairHousingFriday of Fair Housing Month 2022 left us with a lot to consider. Featuring Bor Yang, Executive Director of the VT Human Rights Commission; Owiso Makuku, CEO of Main Street Landing and VT Affordable Housing Coalition Steering Committee Member; and Elizabeth Bridgewater, Executive Director of Windham & Windsor Housing Trust, we discussed how relying on development alone won’t ensure housing opportunities for the communities with the greatest housing needs in Vermont. This conversation highlighted how housing opportunities are not equally accessible to all low-income Vermonters and presenters shared tools and policy ideas that could be considered to ensure housing equity and housing opportunities for our most vulnerable Vermonters

We heard from panelists about how climate migration – still lead predominately by people with the resources to move- is already impacting housing opportunities for potential first-time home buyers across the state, especially in Southern Vermont. We also heard about how employers are taking on the burden of finding housing for their employees in an effort to meet their workforce needs. Of the tools listed to further equitable housing opportunities, panelists pointed to zoning reforms like inclusionary zoning policies, critical looks at minimum lot sizes and how that curbs what kind of housing is developed, and allowing for more multi-family housing such as duplexed, triplexes, and larger apartment developments. Also highlighted was the need to modernize municipal bylaws that could inadvertently be posing barriers to developing in communities across Vermont.

Unfortunately, audience members are left with the knowledge that often it is the vocal minority that gets in the way of developing new affordable housing, and that housing discrimination continues to impact communities of color, new Americans, folks with disabilities, and renters with children on a wide scale. And discrimination is challenging to track as it is so hard to report, and those with the greatest housing needs may not know their rights, but often are so taxed by trying to meet their own housing needs that they are unable to report the discrimination they face. We are left with the with the responsibility to mobilize in our own communities to consider our regional housing equity gaps, and advocate for policies that not only encourage more housing development, but ensures that housing meets the needs of our community members who are most often overlooked and left behind from the housing conversation.

If you missed it, find the full recording below: 

Resources shared as a part of this Fair Housing Friday:

To learn more about Fair Housing Month and upcoming activities: https://fairhousingmonthvt.org/

To learn more and get help: https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/fair-housing-and-discrimination

Our free Vermont Tenants workshops:
https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/vermont-tenants-rights-and-resources

More information about the Human Rights Commission:
https://hrc.vermont.gov/

Vermont Housing Finance Agency on Home Ownership for BIPOC Vermonters https://vhfa.org/news/blog/future-strategies-promote-homeownership-opportunity-bipoc-vermonters

Vermont Housing Finance Agency on Understanding VT’s Vacant Homes: https://vhfa.org/news/blog/future-strategies-promote-homeownership-opportunity-bipoc-vermonters

Bylaw Mondernization Grants : https://accd.vermont.gov/content/bylaw-modernization-grants

Conversation with Elizabeth Bridgewater and Gus Seelig Addressing the Roots of Our Current Housing Crisis : https://vtdigger.org/2022/04/17/vermont-conversation-the-roots-and-way-out-of-vermonts-housing-crisis/

Stay tuned for our Fair Housing Month wrap up, and remember, these conversation MUST continue throughout the year. Thank you for joining us, and please stay in touch.

Fair Housing Friday: “Unique Challenges and Opportunities of Mobile Home Parks”

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Our second #FairHousingFriday of the month was a fantastic hit! Hosted by Nate Lantieri of CVOEO’s Mobile Home Program, panelists included Kelly Hamshaw, Senior Lecturer at UVM Dept. of Community Development & Applied Economics; Gayle Pezzo, Board President of Westbury Homeowners Association; and Elise Shanbacker, ED of Addison County Community Trust.

Panelists covered a extensive array of topics in a short amount of time, from the challenges of financing infrastructure updates for mobile home communities, the challenges community members encounter with funding basic park maintenance such a plowing, and the unique ways mobile home communities are impacted by climate change.

We ended on a powerful message from Gayle Pezzo, Board President of the Westbury Homeowners Association in Colchester, VT. Gayle spoke to the ways a mobile home community uniquely met her needs as a retired, single person, and how joining the Westbury Homeowners Association board necessitated a level of civic engagement she did not anticipate as she advocated for her community to access municipal resources. At the conclusion of the conversation, Gayle pointed out the shift in language from “trailer park” to “mobile home community” had a powerful impact on the way mobile home communities are viewed, and her own connection to her neighborhood.

If you missed it, find the full recording below: 

Resources shared as a part of this Fair Housing Friday:

To learn more about Fair Housing Month and upcoming activities: https://fairhousingmonthvt.org/

To learn more and get help: https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/fair-housing-and-discrimination

Our free Vermont Tenants workshops:
https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/vermont-tenants-rights-and-resources

Resources available from USDA Rural Development here in Vermont : https://www.rd.usda.gov/vt

More resources for Mobile Home Parks through CVOEO: https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/mobile-home-park-rights-and-resources

The Cooperative Development Institute (CDI) : https://cdi.coop/

Do NOT Miss Our Final Fair Housing Friday!

Friday, April April 29th 12:30 – 1:30 PM: “Is Building More the Cure?”

In this final Fair Housing Friday for Fair Housing Month, we will discuss how relying on development alone won’t ensure housing opportunities for the communities with the greatest housing needs in Vermont. Featuring Bor Yang, Executive Director of the VT Human Rights Commission; Owiso Makuku, CEO of Main Street Landing and VT Affordable Housing Coalition Steering Committee Member; and Elizabeth Bridgewater, Executive Director of Windham & Windsor Housing Trust.

And coming up this week:

  • Arts So Wonderful Art opening at the South Burlington University Mall! Friday April 29th from 4pm to 7 pm, or alternative dates at request. Read the full Call to Artists here

TONIGHT – Tuesday, April 26th:

Throughout the month of April: