2000 Best Practice Awards

561 The Housing and Communities Show/Live at 5:25

The Vermont State HUD Office has partnered with CCTV to produce a regular segment on Channel 17’s Live at 5:25 program. Live at 5:25 is a live, call-in show that airs on weekdays as a lead-in to the 6 PM news. The Housing and Communities Show will air on the first Wednesday of each month, beginning on April 15, 2000. The show will cover the gamut of housing and community development issues in Chittenden County, homeownership, affordable housing development in and around Burlington, homeless issues and community and economic development. In honor of Fair Housing Month, the focus was Fair Housing. The show airs May 5, 2000, and is available for viewing on Webcasts. Special guest includes: Ted Wimpey of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity Fair Housing Project /Chittenden Community Action and Henry Korman, HUD Community Builder Specialist in Fair Housing based out of Boston, Massachusetts.

798 Montpelier Housing Authority Bulk Fuel Oil

The Montpelier Housing Authority (MHA) operates three developments that use home heating oil, two of which have public funding. Heaton Woods, a 39 unit assisted living facility funded in part with a $600,000 CDBG and Prospect Place, a 29 unit FmHA project which is 100% LIHTC funded. MHA solicited bids for fuel delivery at the three locations throughout the heating season, agreeing to pay for the estimated number of gallons up front, using funds from its Management Fee Reserves. With the price locked-in by bid at .59 per gallon, MHA paid the vendor $16,933 before the season began for an estimated 28,700 gallons. Each project reimbursed the Management Fee Account as deliveries were made during the heating season. With fuel oil prices escalating to as high as $1.52 per gallon, MHA was able to save in the range of .75 to .93 per gallon or more than $24,000 during the heating season.

969 Spectrum One Stop (SOS)

Spectrum One Stop is the state's first shelter specifically designed for homeless and runaway youth. It was created to provide residential options to runaway youth under the age of 18 and homeless youth between the ages of 16-21. It was designed as a "one stop shopping" for at-risk and homeless youths in need of food, clothing, shelter and support. Spectrum One Stop often acts as an entry point for youths in need. The goal is to provide a continuum of residential options to runaway and homeless youth and to provide services to youths and families. The 7,000 square-foot facility includes a health clinic, classroom, shelter for up to 13 youths, drop-in center and offices. Youths can receive food, clothing and emergency shelter, counseling and case management. Youth can also visit a doctor, access legal counsel, participate in educational programs, secure employment and learn about long-term housing options. SOS is run by a caring and professional staff, many with advanced degrees in social work and human services.

1141 Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) was created by the Vermont state legislature as a private non-profit organization with the dual goals of creating and retaining quality jobs and conserving Vermont's social and natural environments. VSJF works towards these goals by providing grants and technical assistance to Vermont businesses and organizations. VSJF is focusing on the production of value-added agricultural and forest products, two historically important sectors of the state's economy. They are also developing the environmental technology sector in Vermont. VSJF funding is available for any good idea that involves business cooperation but priority goes to projects that protect and restore Vermont's environment and are located in environmentally disadvantaged areas. Here's an example of how VSJF works. Most lumber sawn from Vermont hardwood logs contain irregular grain, knots, or colors from stains. Boards with these natural features get low grades. The character marked wood is turned into low-value products, such as pallets and firewood, which return little profit to the forest landowner. Finding more valuable uses for low grades of hardwood will increase profits of landowners and allow them to manage their land for sustainable harvests. VSJF provided a $15,000 grant for a market analysis that showed that potential customers found beauty and value in furniture that incorporated visual irregularities. In fact, a majority said they preferred character wood furniture over the items made with clear wood. With this information in hand, VSJF awarded a grant to the Richford Economic Development Corporation to help two furniture businesses develop a venture using the "character wood" supplied from Vermont forests. This funding is now helping develop a viable wood-product industry in an area of the state with ample human and natural resources but high unemployment and poverty.

1145 Good New Garage

The Good News Garage (GNG) solicits and receives donated vehicles (2-3 per day) which are reconditioned by experienced mechanics and mechanic trainees and provided to low-income applicants for the cost of repairs. To qualify, applicants must have a valid drivers license and gross income less than 150% of the federal poverty level. Total cost to the recipient is $750 per vehicle, with vehicle values ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. Donors receive a tax write-off based on the fair market value of the vehicle. Since the vehicle is given to recipients as a gift, state and federal discretionary funding, which is designated for client services, is leveraged to cover the cost of vehicle repairs. Recipients receiving support from public assistance, employment & training, vocational rehabilitation and refugee resettlement benefit from GNG services.

1486 Richmond Village Affordable Housing/In-Home Business Development

Working with The Town of Richmond, Richmond Housing, Inc. and tax-credit equity partner Housing Vermont, the Lake Champlain Housing Development Corporation (LCHDC) built 16 new housing units in downtown Richmond, 5 of which are designed for in-home businesses. This project created 16 badly-needed affordable housing units while simultaneously expanding economic development in the Town's business core. This unique project was funded using Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), CDBG, HOME and bank financing, including a loan from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston.

1671 The Vermont Food Venture Center

The Vermont Food Venture Center (VFVC) is a non-profit organization that provides food preparation, packaging, and marketing services to start-up companies in Vermont's specialty food industry. VFVC clients are emerging businesses which need assistance in product and recipe development, marketing, and financing as well as existing companies looking for a larger production facility to rent. The Center uses a hands-on approach where entrepreneurs do all their own production with supervision from VFVC staff. VFVC also conducts outreach on entrepreneurship, food safety and the food industry to schools and other educational institutions. Facilities offered to entrepreneurs include a commercial kitchen, a bakery, and a processing room with bottling, vacuum-packing, and labeling equipment. VFVC also provides financing. VFVC is the only public commercial kitchen in the US certified by the US Dept. of Agriculture to prepare commercial meats.

1691 **Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing

A study conducted by Joan Rogers Powell, Community Research & Development Group prepared for the City of Burlington, Vermont Community Economic Development Office. According to the 1990 U.S. Census, Burlington’s minority population is the fastest growing demographic group and the city is currently experiencing a very low rental vacancy rate (estimated at .7%) creating an unusually high demand for rental housing. The experience of the City staff was that a very large proportion of the low-income, minority, and disabled population of northern Vermont were all seeking housing in Burlington. The fact that they are all competing for the same scarce low-income housing results in serious impediments to housing opportunity and choice for these groups. The study was intended to find out what was causing this and how it can be addressed.

1961 Town of Randolph Vermont, Village Revitalization

This project involved the redevelopment and revitalization of the downtown area for the Town of Randolph Vermont. Randolph is a town of approximately 4800 people located in the geographic center of the State. In the early 1990's over a 1 year period, a series of disastrous fires gutted 3 major building in the main downtown section of the community. The resulted in the loss of 7 business located in the immediate downtown area. It also resulted in the loss of a number of rental housing units. Coupled with these losses was an ongoing affordable housing shortage combined with a housing units that didn't meet minimum housing standards. In response to this, the town government, the Chamber of Commerce and the Randolph Neighborhood Housing Services formed the Randolph Area Community Development Corporation (RACDC). The RACDC's adopted three main goals. Redevelop the downtown area's gutted by the fires, expand affordable housing opportunities and address substandard housing; and, foster and expand economic growth and job creation in the Randolph area. The RACDC was successful in securing funding from a number of sources including Federal, State and private and began the redevelopment of the fire ravaged downtown area. RACDC was successful in rebuilding all of the area destroyed by fire. During the funding and construction phase RACDC was successful in obtaining temporary locations for all effected business as well as those who lost places to live. RACDC was successful in rebuilding all the structures lost in the fire. This enabled the business to move back to there original sites and also resulted in the creation of new space which was quickly filled by new business. A byproduct of this work included the use of some previously vacant downtown office space, reworking of the downtown streetscape and parking. Another result was the construction of new supermarket just outside the village which has resulted in the existing downtown market to come under new ownership. The existing market will be renovated and thus foster a better competitive balance among supermarket chains. A second benefit to this effort is the creation of revolving loan fund for economic development activities control by the RACDC and the Town. On the housing front RACDC merged with Randolph Neighborhood Housing Service and has partnered with the Central Vermont Homeownership Center to provide Homebuyer Education, housing counseling, housing rehabilitation administration and limited funding. A revolving loan fund for housing has been created. The RACDC was successful in obtaining a HUD Section 202 Elderly Housing Capital Advance Grant for the creation of 20 units of subsidized elderly housing to be located in the downtown Lyons Block. The Lyon's Block is a historic structure and is the last remaining downtown building on the main block that has not undergone rehabilitation. RACDC also purchased a 19 space mobile home park from a private owner thus preserving the park as affordable for low and moderate income citizens.

2030 Rental Opportunity Center

The Rental Opportunity Center is a one-stop information and resource center for very low income individuals and families needing affordable housing, to help households successfully compete in an extremely tight rental housing market and to expand housing options and opportunities for Section 8 rental subsidy holders. The Rental Opportunity Center is an accessible storefront office centrally located in Burlington with room for a staff of two and a half, client space for application preparation and phone calling and a small meeting area. The Rental Opportunity Center provides housing search assistance to disadvantaged Section 8 subsidy holders and provides the following resources to very low income households seeking housing:

• Orientation to Affordable Housing Options
• Individual Assessment of Appropriate Housing
• Assistance with applications and paperwork
• Advice on successful housing search techniques
• Preparation of tenant package (uniform application, credit report, prepared references)
• Referrals to landlords
• Intensive housing search assistance for qualified households
• Assistance with security deposits and application fees

The Rental Opportunity Center also benefits private landlords and property managers with the following services: resource for free listings, savings on advertising and screening, appropriate referrals of households seeking rental housing, linkage opportunities with Section 8 program and reduced walk-in traffic at non-profit housing offices.

2063 Statewider Nonprofit Homeownership Center

In 1996 the Vermont Housing Finance Authority (VHFA) provided initial funding to 4 area non-profits to create Homeownership centers (HOC). The purpose of the HOC's was to create centers that could assist low and moderate income people trying to find and purchase affordable housing. The centers provide a full range of housing service including, homebuyer education, housing counseling, loss mitigation services, rehabilitation counseling and limit funding for rehabilitation, post ownership counseling and credit counseling. Since 1996 the number of Homeownership centers has expanded to 5 and now effectively cover all parts of the state. Each individual center is independently operated and is not directly part of VHFA and are in fact operated by the each area non-profits. The newest Homeownership Center ( the Central Vermont Homeownership Center) is partnership between 4 non-profit organization covering the Washington County Area, northern Windsor county and most of Lamoile county. Burlington Community Land Trust covers Northern Addision, Chittenden, Grand Isle and Franklin counties, Gilman Housing Trust covers Essex, Orleans and Caledonia counties, Rockingham Area Community Land covers southern Windsor and Windham counties while Rutland West Neighborhood Housing Services cover southern Addision, Rutland and Bennington counties. 4 of the 5 are currently approve by National Neighborhood Housing Service with the 5th HOC expecting to receive approval this fall. In 1997 USDA's Rural Development Office (the VT/NH state office) provided both direct funding and assigned staff to each center not only to promote RD programs but to provide overall housing counseling .2 of the HOC's are HUD approved housing counseling agencies.

2091 Vermont Community Development Program

The Vermont Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) is engaged in a redesign of the Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP) to achieve a program which is more responsive to the many municipalities, businesses, non-profit organizations, and individuals who use this program. The VCDP, in operation since 1983, has a sound history and has been successful in fulfilling its mission, but the structure has remained the same over the past 16 years, while community needs and problems, as well as HUD, have changed. The DHCA is cognizant that there could be a more effective method of delivering the Program that would be as successful, or achieve greater success in fulfilling its mission. The mission of the redesign project is to develop a program design and delivery system that is consistent with the federal program requirements and that creates an outcome which: 1. Can be accomplished within State resources and the VCDP budget; and 2. Substantially meets client expectations.

DHCA committed itself to a thorough review and performance-enhancing redesign of this program that distributes millions of dollars of HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds each year. To advise DHCA on what the new VCDP should look like, the Redesign Advisory Group, a committee of twelve persons, representing a variety of constituents, was appointed to examine the program and recommend how it might be improved. DHCA will then decide which of these recommendations to implement - and how. The Redesign Advisory Group informs and guides the work of the Redesign Consultants, a skilled team of private consultants under the direction of Burlington Associates in Community Design. Their tasks included the following:

• Evaluate what works - and what might work better - in the existing VCDP;
• Research how other states use and distribute their CDBG funds; and
• Solicit information and advice from municipal officials, private citizens, and interested parties throughout the state, asking how VCDP might be improved.
• Final recommendations were made by the Committee in early May 2000. As of the nomination deadline (May 31, 2000) DHCA is currently reviewing the recommendations.

2190 Northgate Apartments Gun Policy (Mandated)

Northgate/Greenfield Apartments is the largest affordable rental housing complex in the State of Vermont, with 336 units serving 1,400 people. In 1989, this HUD 221(d)3 was bought-out by a group of local officials and the residents, and is now resident controlled and managed. The Northgate Residents Association provides a range of services for Northgate residents and have been proactive with other "gate" complexes, providing support and technical assistance to the Applegate Residents Association in Bennington (1998 buy-out) and Westgate Residents Association in Brattleboro (currently in negotiation.

2242 Burlington, Vermont CDBG Citizen Advisory

The need for citizen participation is explicit in the CDBG regulations. Burlington believes that community needs are better addressed with CDBG funding when a comprehensive bottom-up grassroots process is used.

The keystone to the annual allocation of CDBG funds in the City of Burlington is the Citizen Advisory Board, which makes funding recommendations to the Mayor and the City Council. This citizen allocation process has been in place for over a decade. The Citizen Advisory Board reviews all funding proposals, including those made by the City. The goal of the allocation process is to make CDBG resource allocation a bottom-up community-based decision-making process, to build community consensus around needs and priorities and to thereby increase spending effectiveness and neighborhood involvement in solving local problems.

2427 Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity Fair Housing Project

By national standards all of Vermont has a shortage of rental housing but in Champlain Valley the shortage has reached a crisis stage. In Burlington, the largest city in Vermont, the rental vacancy rate is .24%, and in the suburbs it is 0%. Furthermore, Vermont as a whole lacks development-style apartment buildings, so nearly all testing had to be done in 2-4 unit houses. It was in this environment that CVOEO /Fair Housing Project initiated the state’s first fair housing testing program.

Under a FHIP Grant from HUD, the FHP completed 79 audit tests and 13 complaint tests in 10 months in a state that had never seen fair housing testing before. Testing in Burlington and its suburbs required constant innovation. Testers received assignments on the morning of the first day an apartment was advertised. Even doing this did not insure that a tester would see the unit. Often apartments were rented that very morning, or despite repeated phone calls from both testers, no contact was made with the landlords who were receiving 100 phone calls per day.

In the beginning of the project the Fair Housing Project was averaging 1 in 4 tests. Testers were getting frustrated as they were only paid for completed tests. Quickly changes were made. Testers were given 4 - 5 assignments at one time along with a profile that worked for all of the assignments. This usually insured that a tester would complete at least one test. Tester were also given the choice of going part-time by being paid by the hour as a consultant; this allowed testers to be compensated for all their failed attempts. Landlords would also use the practice of "group showings" to efficiently handle the deluge of perspective renters. Landlords would set a time for a showing and up to 20 people would come for a group tour. Obviously it is difficult to test in this environment; applications were usually left on a pile on the counter for people to grab. While the Fair Housing Project often didn’t test these places, they felt the need to, as many major landlords weren’t being tested because of this practice. The recipient would instruct testers, after securing an appointment, to try to determine if it was a group showing. If it was, one tester was instructed to call back and say they were really interested in the apartment and needed to come early as they had a doctors appointment. The other tester would be instructed to, after making an appointment, to suddenly remember that they were seeing another apartment down the street at that time, and to request to come a little late. This would allow each tester to get an individual showing. While testing in a near zero vacancy rate market was easy, testers were still frustrated, changes allowed the Fair Housing Project to do their jobs, producing the first ever audit study in Vermont.

2509 Grand Isle County Forum

Located in northwestern Vermont within minutes of the Canadian border, Grand Isle County is comprised of five linked, island communities in Lake Champlain. "The Islands" support lakefront farms, orchards, vineyards, and abundant recreational opportunities. Tourism has been a mainstay of Island life since the early 1900s and today is the largest sector of the Island's economy. Historically, Grand Isle County has grown at a slow pace due to its physical isolation. However, transportation improvements and development pressures from the growth of neighboring Chittenden County have resulted in an influx of tourists as well as permanent residents, many of whom work off of the Islands. While there have been benefits, this growth has also stressed the area's infrastructure and threatened the integrity of natural and cultural resources. Increased employment and income have not been equally distributed throughout the county. In 1999, the five communities of Grand Isle County created the Grand Isle Forum in response to this changing landscape. In October 1999, the Forum organized a visit by a team of development experts from the Countryside Exchange of the Glynwood Center (a national non-profit organization based in New York). The Forum hosted the Exchange Team for a week of tours, interviews, and fact-finding with local officials, businesses, and residents. By the end of the week the team had met with over 600 people - more than 10 percent of the population. The Forum organized a series of well-attended public meetings that generated three key questions for the team to consider: 1) How can we most effectively increase employment opportunities so that we can afford to live and work in the Islands? 2) How can we create opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy Islands life together? 3) How can we plan for growth in a way that pulls the County's resident together around a common vision? The team's observations, conclusions, and recommendations were presented in a report, which was discussed at a public meeting with more than 150 participants. The Forum has used the report and the enthusiasm generated by the Countryside Exchange effort to develop a long-term process to improve conditions in the Islands. Subsequent meetings have included a visioning process and an event to gather local farmers and other large landowners whose tracts are at-risk for development (both facilitated by a HUD community builder).

2667 Burlington Community Land Trust Asset

This project involves an agreement between HUD and the Burlington Community Land Trust (BCLT) to purchase HUD's REO properties in Burlington, Vermont. The Asset Control Area Agreement (ACA) was developed as a result of BCLT's excellent record in purchasing HUD REO properties in Burlington, undertaking necessary rehabilitation, and selling the properties to low-income homeowners. The homes are kept perpetually affordable through the use of the Land Trust model of homeownership that involves a land lease with a shared equity resale formula. This program assisted five low-income households into homeownership due to a discounted initial purchase price from HUD and purchase subsidy from BCLT to the buyers.

2736 Central Vermont Community Action Council

The Family Housing Partnership is an intensive home based prevention model that brings together low income families at risk of homelessness and their landlords.. The project helps families keep a roof over their heads while addressing the personal and systemic barriers that affect a families ability to remain securely housed. The Partnership also works on bridging the differences (either real or perceived) that have traditionally existed between low income families and their landlords. Family Housing Partnership (FHP) Specialists (case managers) work with ten families per caseload, primarily in the families home, and participants sign a contract to stay in the project for at least six months. Many referrals come from landlords themselves who have heard of the successful track record of the project. During the six months of the program, staff work intensively with participants to help them identify the barriers to stable housing, to assess their situations, and to develop and take action on concrete plans for dealing with circumstances that put them at risk of homelessness. Inclusive partnerships with current or future landlords, budgeting, and financial literacy are major elements of the model. The Partnership may in some cases, make arrangements to pay a portion of rental or mortgage arrearage. In return the families agree to complete the program and make regular current rental or mortgage payments. Over the last year and a half, the FHP has learned and demonstrated that problems with housing are usually a symptom of other issues in families’ lives. Often participants are dealing with substance abuse, family violence, a lack of literacy skills, health concerns, and other issues. The FHP operates on a tenet that building relationships with families often provides the encouragement and support necessary to address those issues. Without the support of the relationship model, families are often unable to attend to their housing needs and find themselves homeless or in grave danger of becoming homeless. FHP has also been recognized by the local landlords as an option to eviction and often referrals come from landlords or housing agencies who are more likely to take a chance on a family when they know the family is receiving case management services.

Content Archived: April 20, 2011