New Vt. program aims to expand housing stock

The winter landscape as seen from River Road in Woodstock, Vt. (Gareth Henderson File Photo)

Vermont has launched a new program meant to increase housing units throughout the state. This effort comes amid an ongoing housing shortage in Vermont — an issue which has been emphasized by local and state officials during the pandemic. 

Announced this week, the Vermont Housing Improvement Program (VHIP) is designed to bring housing units back online by investing in existing, but under-utilized structures, the announcement said. VHIP builds upon past rental rehabilitation pilot programs that used modest public investment to revitalize housing in Vermont’s downtown areas, while helping renters and property owners who are most in need of assistance, according to the state.

The program, funded using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, will invest a total of $5 million into the state’s aging housing stock. VHIP will provide grants of up to $30,000 per unit with a 20% funding match required to bring code non-compliant units back into habitability. This round of grants is dedicated to units serving renters who are exiting homelessness, officials said.

“In addition to building new housing, VHIP will be critical for bringing housing that has fallen into disrepair back online, helping to provide more housing for the workforce, lifting people out of homelessness, and aiding in the transformational change we are seeking to create stronger communities,” said Gov. Phil Scott in a Wednesday statement.

Scott joined the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development and other statewide partners in launching the program. 

“Throughout the course of the pandemic many businesses received financial assistance, but one of the populations that has been overlooked is the mom-and-pop landlords across the state,” said Josh Hanford, the state’s commissioner of housing and community development. “We designed this program for the long run with the success of the landlord and the tenant in mind. With this program, you are creating permanent housing and improving neighborhoods.”

Shaun Gilpin, director of the state government’s housing division, said a major goal is to address the needs of the most vulnerable Vermonters.

“We have been working with Vermont’s five homeownership centers to create a new program that is based on successful models and improves upon past efforts to bring more housing on-line,” Gilpin said. 

VHIP partners include Champlain Housing Trust, Rural Edge, Downstreet Housing and Community Development, Windham and Windsor Housing Trust, and Neighborworks of Western Vermont.

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— Gareth Henderson