VERMONT HONORED WITH TWO OUT OF 14 NATIONAL AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING WORK IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Vermont housing developments among 14 model programs named nationwide

BURLINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it is recognizing the State of Vermont and the city of Burlington with its coveted "Doorknocker Award" for their outstanding work in producing affordable housing. From creating a stable living environment for those with disabilities to providing rental assistance to homeless veterans, each community represents a model for developing innovative housing solutions to meet their specific needs. (See below for description of Vermont developments honored)

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced the awards to 11 local communities and three state agencies for their exceptional use of funding provided through HUD's HOME Investment Partnerships Program. The announcement of the "Doorknocker Awards" coincides with the 20th anniversary of the HOME Program, the largest federal block grant program dedicated to producing affordable housing at the state and local level. Since 1992, HOME produced more than one million units of affordable housing through the U.S.

"These Vermont organizations have set themselves apart on a national level, earning two out of 14 national awards for their work building better communities and creating opportunities for people most in need," said Barbara Fields,
HUD New England Regional Administrator.

HUD's HOME Program

The Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act created the HOME Program in 1992. HOME provides formula grants to States and localities that communities use-often in partnership with local nonprofit groups-to fund a wide range of activities that build, buy, and/or rehabilitate affordable housing for rent or homeownership or provide direct rental assistance to low-income people.

Each year, HUD allocates approximately $2 billion to more than 600 State and local participating jurisdictions to increase the stock of affordable housing and provide tenant-based rental assistance for low- and very low-income households. Since the program's inception, the HOME Program has completed more than one million units of affordable housing and provided more than 240,000 families with critically needed rental assistance. Each dollar of HOME funds leverages nearly $4 in other public and private investment and has leveraged more than $78 billion over the life of the program.

Each award-winning project demonstrates how the flexibility provided by the HOME program is used by State and
local governments to meet the specific needs of low-income families and underserved populations in their areas. These projects and programs serve as models for other jurisdictions to replicate throughout the country in four categories of innovation -producing producing sustainable housing, promoting long-term affordability, reaching underserved populations and building CHDO (non-profit) capacity.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.

VERMONT

City of Burlington
King Street Housing
(New construction mixed-use rental and commercial)

King Street Housing is a 20-unit rental development with 10,000-square feet of office space developed by the City of Burlington in partnership with the Champlain Housing Trust (CHT), a HOME Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO). The project is located in a downtown neighborhood that had been designated as a
Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area and threatened by gentrification and displacement of low-income residents.

Under the Community Land Trust model pioneered by CHT, 17 of its units are affordable in perpetuity. The building, with both residential and commercial spaces, is LEED-certified and has energy-efficient features that lower operating costs. The project is close to retail and businesses, and is transit oriented, located on a major bus route and two blocks away from the City's transportation hub. To help achieve long-term affordability, the City made contributions to the project from both its housing trust and its inclusionary zoning funds.

For more information contact:

Brian Pine
Assistant Director for Housing
City of Burlington
149 Church Street, City Hall
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 865-7232

State of Vermont
CHDO Capacity Building Program
(Community housing development organization)

CHDO capacity building efforts have been extraordinary. Under the leadership of the State and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, the entity selected by the State to administer its HOME Program, the CHDO network has grown from two nonprofits covering three counties to 10 CHDOs and several nonprofits covering the entire state.

In the last ten years, the CHDOs have been responsible for the development of nearly 3,000 units of affordable housing, of which 1,000 are HOME units. More than half of the HOME-assisted projects have been developed in communities as small as 1,000 people, yet projects have also been undertaken in exclusive resort communities like Manchester and Vermont's largest city, Burlington. These projects have cleaned up brownfield sites, revitalized neighborhoods, and served people with extremely low incomes and disabilities. CHDOs play a vital role in executing
the State's major housing-related goals as articulated in its Consolidated Plan: (1) providing decent housing; and (2) providing a suitable living environment.

The plan for increased CHDO capacity occurred in three stages: creating and expanding the capacity of CHDOs to develop affordable housing; expanding the asset management capacity of CHDOs and other nonprofits; and
expanding the capacity to manage high energy prices. The major activities for implementing this plan included outreach, financial support and incentives, training and targeted technical assistance, monitoring and evaluation, and troubleshooting and project workouts when necessary. This strategy for increasing CHDO capacity, coupled with the commitment to provide permanent affordability and serve the most vulnerable of populations, has resulted in affordable housing in every county of the State.

For more information contact:

Ann Karlene Kroll
Director of Grants Management
State of Vermont
One National Life Drive
Montpelier, VT 05620
(802) 828-5225

Polly Nichol
Director of Housing
Vermont Housing & Conservation Board
58 East State Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 828-3259