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Action Plan

The State of Vermont will use the HUD formula funds covered by this Consolidated Plan to:

• support municipal projects for economic development, affordable housing, public facilities and public services, with an emphasis on downtown preservation and revitalization;
• expand the supply of decent, affordable housing for low and very low income households, with an emphasis on rental housing and the preservation of existing housing stock;
• provide services and housing supports to persons with HIV/AIDS; and
• improve emergency shelters and shelter programs for the homeless.

The formula programs covered by this plan are: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG); Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME); Emergency Shelter Grant Program (ESG) and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA).

Citizen Participation

As the Vermont state agency designated to prepare the 1995-1999 Consolidated Plan, the Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Agency of Development and Community Affairs, began to develop an extensive citizen participation process in the summer of 1994. The major areas of encouraging citizen participation were through a process of consultation, with an advisory group and many interested organizations; an extensive mailing to interested parties; and public hearings to solicit comment as we began discussing priorities.

Early in September, 1994, Governor Howard Dean appointed a group of experts in the affordable housing, community development and human services fields to assist the Department of Housing and Community Affairs in the evolution of the Plan. Over the course of several meetings during the fall and winter months, these individuals served an invaluable role with their review of data and programmatic material, their spirited discussions of priorities, and perhaps most of all, their clear commitments to a better life for Vermont's low and moderate income citizens.

In late August, the Department sent a mailing to nearly 1,200 interested organizations and individuals, advising them of HUD's new expectations for CDBG, HOME and ESG planning. The Department warned three public hearings in October-November 1994. Each of the three hearings was well attended, and a number of individuals and organizations provided written comments to the Department. Advisory Group members participated in each of the hearings, as did DHCA staff. On March 28, 1995, the Department conducted a Vermont Interactive Television public hearing at seven sites to provide opportunity for comment on the draft Consolidated Plan before submission to HUD in April.

In the course of developing the Consolidated Plan, the Department consulted with many organizations interested in the future of affordable housing and community development funding in Vermont including the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, Vermont Association of Public Housing Directors, Vermont Community Development Association, Vermont Housing Council, and the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.

The Department has frequent contact with officials of the City of Burlington in connection with their HOME contract, their Enterprise Community designation, and past cooperation in developing Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategies. As an entitlement community under the Community Development Block Grant Program, the City developed its own Consolidated Plan.

State Profile: A Rich History

History buffs could spend a year in Vermont and not even begin to uncover the treasures to be discovered in every corner of the state. A chronological tour of museums, exhibits and sights might look like this:

Before Europeans ever touched North American soil, the Abenaki, a tribe of the Algonquin nation, lived in villages along Lake Champlain just above Burlington. The Abenaki still reside in that region today, concentrated around St. Albans.

French explorer Samuel de Champlain first visited Lake Champlain in 1609. The lake became a key thoroughfare for American history. The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, just west of Vergennes, displays dozens of original watercraft dating back 150 years, and offers week-long classes in traditional boatbuilding and seamanship. In addition, a full-scale replica of the Revolutionary War gunboat, Philadelphia, is the museum's centerpiece.

A virtual treasure trove of Americana can be found at the Shelburne Museum. Ethan Allen's Homestead, which provides insight about the eccentric Revolutionary War hero, is open to visitors in Burlington.

In the state's southwest corner, the Bennington Battle Monument commemorates the conflict that was the turning point for the struggle of a new nation. Windsor, "The Birthplace of Vermont," is home to The Constitution House, where the state's constitution was signed in 1777.

No history of Vermont is complete without a stop in Montpelier. The Vermont State House doubles as an architectural treasure, its marble-floored halls harboring memorabilia and portraits of people and events that shaped the state's history since 1775.

Other attractions include the Hyde Log Cabin, the nations's oldest, in Grand Isle; the country's only working railroad covered bridge in Wolcott; the home sites of former U.S. president Calvin Coolidge at Plymouth and Chester A. Arthur in Fairfield; and a close look at 19th century hill farms at the Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock.

And there's more: the Old Mill in Jericho; the Joseph Smith Memorial in South Royalton, dedicated to the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; the Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh, a stop on the Underground Railroad during the 19th century; and the recently restored Rudyard Kipling House in Brattleboro.

Conditions

The population of Vermont increased at an average annual rate of about 1.1% during the 1980s to 562,758. The number of households grew at a faster rate of 1.7% per year. The state gained about 32,200 households during the decade.

Both population and household growth have slowed in the 1990s. By 1999, it is projected that the state will have gained about 38,600 people and 21,300 households since 1990.

About 56% of all households in the state in 1990 were married couple households. Families headed by a single parent made up 12% of the households.

Between 1980 and 1990, nonfamily households increased almost four times faster than family households. By 1990 they had grown to 31% of all households in the state.

Nearly 99% of the state's population is white. Asians constitute 0.6% of the population and Blacks and American Indians about 0.3% each.

Households in Vermont are estimated to have a 1994 median income of about $32,300. Those headed by 35-to-54 year olds are estimated to have the highest median income -- about $42,000. The lowest median income of about $13,900 is among households headed by a 75+ year old. As of the 190 Census, 19% of 75+ year old households lived below the pverty line, while 10% of all households in the state had less than pverty-level incomes.

Minority populations grew at a rate greater than that of the general population. These populations include Blacks (non-Hispanic) with an increase to 1,868 (72%); Native Americans (non-Hispanic) with an increase to 1,651 (57%); Asian and Pacific Islanders (non-Hispanic) with an increase to 3,150 (98%) and Other races (non-Hispanic) with an increase to 235 (57%).

The household population grew by 10% from 1980 to 1990, while the non-household population grew by 3%. The non-household population includes individuals who live in mental hospitals which saw a population decrease of 73% to 149; nursing homes with an increase of 8% to 4,686 and college dormitories with a decrease of 1% to 13,426.

More than two-thirds (69%) of the state's households own their dwellings, while 31% rent.

About 6,100 dwellings (2.3% of the total) lack complete plumbing, and 4,800 (1.8%) lack complete kitchens.

Nearly 4 of 10 (39%) of all the occupied houses in Vermont were 50 years old or older as of 1990, and 61% were at least 20 years old. The median age as of 1990 was 29 years old.

Renters are much more likely to live in homes 50 years old or older; as of 1990 about 53% of renters lived in homes built in 1939 or earlier, while about 32% of homeowners lived in those older homes. New owner-occupied homes have been built at a consistently faster rate than rental units since 1950.

Housing Needs

About 25,668 (42%) renter households have housing problems, 36,068 (25%) of owner households have housing problems.

Renters Paying More than 30% of Income to Rent, by Age of Householder

About 34% of households headed by a person under 65 years old in 1990 paid 30% or more of their incomes to rent; the percentage rose to about 49% of households headed by a person 65 years old or older.

More than a fifth (22%) of homeowners in Vermont in 1990 paid 30% or more of their incomes for selected costs of ownership (mortgage, property tax, insurance, utilities). Among homeowners with less than $10,000 of income, 84% paid at least 30% of their incomes to these costs.

About 24% of homeowners with mortgages paid at least 30% of their incomes to these costs, while 18% of homeowners without mortgages did so.

Housing Market Conditions

Median gross rent in Vermont was $446 in 1989 (U.S. Census, 1990).

As of 1994, the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development proposed that the "fair market rent" for a two-bedroom rental unit range from $384 in Orleans County to $654 in Chittenden County.

The median price of homes (excluding mobile homes) in Vermont remained fairly steady from 1989 through 1993, at about $95,000. The number of homes sold declined by nearly 31% from 1988 through 1993.

The median price of mobile homes with land in 1993 was $42,500. The number of sales almost every year since 1988 decreased, from 354 in 1988 to only 147 in 1993.

The price of mobile homes without land (i.e., in mobile home parks) has remained at around $20,000 for the last three years. The number of sales has fallen by half, to 501 in 1993.

Affordable Housing Needs

As of 1994, an estimated 46,750 low- and moderate-income households need decent, affordable rentals. The number is projected to increase by 1,300 by 1999. These include about 24,100 very low income households, increasing to just over 25,000 by 1999.

Of the total need, about 37,450 are among nonelderly households, increasing to 38,000 in 1999. About 9,300 households are elderly (65+ years old), increasing to 10,100 in 1999.

As of 1994, it is estimated that between 6,900 and 8,600 low-and moderate-income renters would choose to be first-time homebuyers if the opportunity were available. Nearly 70% of the demand is among households headed by a 25-to-34 year old. Just over half of the demand is among households with less than $25,000.

As of the 1990 Census there were 18,644 occupied mobile homes statewide. It is estimated that total potential demand for mobile homes has increased to nearly 20,400 as of 1994, and the demand is projected to grow to close to 23,000 by 1999.

As of 1994, it is estimated that between 6,900 and 8,600 low-and moderate-income renters would choose to be first-time homebuyers if the opportunity were available. Nearly 70% of the demand is among households headed by a 25-to-34 year old. Just over half of the demand is among households with less than $25,000.

Need will decline by about 2% between 1994 and 1999 to between 6,800 and 8,400 households.

With the help of the VHFA's MOVE program, a 25-to-34 year old with the median income for this cohort has 98% of the income needed to afford a median-priced home. A household with $25,000 has 67% of the needed income.

With the potentially lower interest rates of the RECD's Sec. 502 program , a household with $25,000 comes to within 93% of the needed income. But a median-priced home still would be out of reach for a household with $15,000, which would have only 34% of the required income.

The potential demand for mobile homes statewide in 1994 is estimated at 20,390. This would represent about 9.3% of all households (219,259) in the state.

1999 Projection

The potential demand is projected to increase to 22,957 in 1999. This would represent about 9.9% of the projected number of households (231,907) in the state.

Potential demand for mobile homes in mobile home parks is estimated at 7,749 to 8,156. This compares with about 6,896 lots in mobile home parks as of 1993 (see Table 1).

Homeless Needs

In a rural state like Vermont, homelessness is not as visible a problem as in America's urban areas. With the exception of the City of Burlington, where homeless people do gather in certain areas, the homeless population is dispersed and scattered throughout the state.

Nonetheless, the problem of homelessness in Vermont is a serious and growing one. In 1987, the State Department of Social Welfare estimated that there were 4,000 homeless people, based on a comprehensive survey of all shelters.

Today, the State Office of Economic Opportunity estimates that there are 6,000 homeless people, approximately 30% of whom are families. The growing problem is exacerbated by Vermont's housing affordability problem: according to a report published by the Low Income Housing Information Service in 1991, Vermont ranked as the fifth least affordable state in the nation in terms of housing costs.

The following statistics provide other indicators of need:

• In 1991, more than 2,300 households used Vermont's emergency shelters.
• In FY1992, the Vermont Network of shelters for battered women served 12,809 women, children and men victimized in incidents of domestic violence; 931 individuals were provided emergency safe housing.
• Based on the 1990 Census S Night Survey, at least 334 individuals are on the street or in shelters on a typical night.
• Spectrum, a youth service organization in Burlington, estimates that there are between 158 and 350 homeless individuals in Burlington between the ages of 18 and 24. The Vermont Coalition of Runaway Youth Programs estimates that there are an additional 288 homeless youth.
• The Office of Economic Opportunity conducted two one night shelter censuses in 1993, which showed at any given time 186 persons staying at Vermont's shelters on a given night; twenty-five per cent (25%) of whom were children.

Public and Assisted Housing Needs

As of the end of 1993, there were 5,815 deep subsidy units in the state plus 4,271 deep subsidy Section 8 Certificates. Of those 10,086 subsidized units and households, 58% (5,859) were for the elderly and the remaining 42% (4,227) were for families. There were 3,224 other assisted units without deep subsidies. Of these, 567 were for the elderly and 2,657 were for families.

As of June 1994, RECD had a statewide single family housing caseload of 3,565 units. From FY 1988 through 1993, RECD financed an average of about 347 loans per year statewide.

From 1988 through 1993, VHFA--through all of its single family programs (MOVE, HOUSE, Mobile Home Assistance Program, joint program with RECD, VEIC, CVPS, and Mortgage Plus)--assisted an average of about 993 households per year statewide.

Barriers to Affordable Housing

In Vermont, local communities support their services by imposing property tax rates that support the town budget and school budget. The budget may or may not include a State contribution to the school budget through the State Aid to Education formula. Special commissions on property taxation issued reports in 1989 and 1993 which noted the major weaknesses of the current property tax system:

• largest cost burden on low income Vermonters;
• large disparity among towns' ability to raise revenues; and
• current town-based system does not account for growth problems that cross town borders.

Like all developments in Vermont, affordable housing developments are subject to a myriad of local and State regulations relating to land use and site design, water and sewer, and environmental concerns. The development of new mobile home parks has been significantly curtailed by local, state and federal regulations. Delays and sophisticated engineering studies related to regulatory review can contribute to increased costs of development. Another barrier is the effect of Vermont's State subdivision regulations which review the design of on-site sewage treatment and water systems. The regulations do not apply to lots 10 acres or larger, which has created a major incentive to divide land in large 10 acre parcels. In areas of the State which lack suitable soils for on-site septic systems, affordability has been affected by the difficulty of finding small, buildable lots.

In communities that have adopted zoning, some of the bylaws are overly restrictive. One of the most pervasive problems is the requirement for large minimum lot size. Five and ten acre minimums are fairly standard.

In some communities, subdivision bylaws tend to be based on models from more urbanized areas, often containing elements which add cost to the project and individual units. Excessive road width, paving, and construction specifications and sidewalks are some examples.

The Vermont Department of Labor and Industry, a small free-standing agency with about 80 employees, is charged with enforcing the State's building, fire, and life safety codes and reviewing building plans to ensure that requirements are met for handicapped access. One of the highest priorities is the safety of persons in residences including access to housing and public buildings for individuals with physical disabilities. According to the Department, in new construction, compliance with the minimum safety and access standards of the Fire Prevention and building Codes does not materially affect the cost of providing housing. However, existing substandard multi-family dwellings can be costly to bring up to the applicable codes, including accessibility for persons with physical disabilities and corrections to mobile home park systems. More comprehensive determinations of code applicability could help developers understand and finalize costs related to code compliance.

Vermont has a statewide Rental Housing Health Code which is a minimum housing code standard administered by the Vermont Department of health. The code applies to all rental units in Vermont unless there is a local code which exceeds it, as in cases of communities such as Barre, Burlington, Rutland, St. Johnsbury, and Winooski. A common complaint is that investigations are not initiated and conducted in a timely manner.

As part of Act 200, Vermont's growth management legislation, towns are authorized to "require beneficiaries of new development to pay their proportionate share of the costs of municipal and school capital projects which benefit them and require them to pay for or mitigate the negative effects of construction." A new law sought to implement impact fees through one centralized entity in a municipality, as opposed to allowing fire districts, school districts, planning commissions, or others to levy their own fees for separate purposes. The impact fee must be adopted as a local ordinance or as part of the zoning or subdivision bylaws. The municipality must have a plan and a capital budget, and an ordinance clearly setting forth the formula and procedures to be used to assess, collect and implement an impact fee program. This is not an easy process, and most towns have been deterred from levying impact fees.

The cost of space heating and utility bills are one of the greatest costs challenging the goal of maintaining housing affordability. Although energy prices are unpredictable in the short term, they have escalated much faster than the rate of inflation during the recent two decades. Furthermore, Vermont consumers have little direct control over the price of energy and utility services.

Lead-Based Paint

During recent years, the issue of lead-based paint in Vermont's older housing stock has become a major concern for the health, housing, and historic preservation communities. Children under the age of six and pregnant women are at risk of lead poisoning if they live in housing constructed before 1978 with lead-based paint hazards. Vermont is among the seven so called "lead leaders" as a state where more than 70 percent of the housing stock was constructed prior to 1980. Because the State is so reliant upon this housing stock to meet the needs of low and moderate income people, primarily renters, the concern about lead safety presents considerable challenges.

Numbers and General Location of Housing Units with Lead-Poisoned Children

The following reflects cases of childhood lead poisoning reported to the State of Vermont Department of health from January 1 through December 31, 1994. Numbers reflect both venous and capillary testing.

• 4,804 children were tested for lead in 1994;
• 84 children, or 1.7% of those tested, had blood lead levels greater than or equal to 20 micrograms per deciliter;
• 161 children, or 3% of those tested, had blood lead levels between 15 and 19 micrograms per deciliter;
• 496 children, or 10% of those tested, had blood lead levels between 10 and 14 micrograms per deciliter.

Affected Housing Units Occupied by Very Low and Other Low Income Households:

Of the total occupied housing stock in Vermont (210,650 units), 63,450 units, or 30% of the total, are units affected by lead-based paint which are occupied by very low and other low income households. Of this number, 39,341 are rental units; 24,109 are owner-occupied units. The highest incidence of lead-affected units occupied by very low and other low income households occurs in the City of Burlington and in Caledonia, Essex, Franklin, Orleans and Windham counties.

Of the total occupied housing stock in Vermont (210,650 units), 128,752, or 61% of the total, are units affected by lead-based paint. This figure includes very low and other low income households, as well as households with higher incomes. Of this number, 44,118 are rental units; 84,634 are owner-occupied units. The highest incidence of lead-affected units, regardless of household income, occurs in the City of Burlington and in Caledonia, Orleans, Rutland, Washington and Windham counties.

Economic Highlights

Vermont's average annual wage continues at 86 percent of the national average. In fact, from 1992 to 1993, while the U.S. average wage grew by 1.8 percent, Vermont fell farther behind by growing at a rate of 1.5 percent. This is because, as the September 1994 issue of the Department of Employment and Training's Annual Planning Information put it; "The slow recovery from the recession at the start of the decade, and the changing structure of the state's economy have adversely affected income growth. Not only has the long term shift from goods-related employment to service producers continued unabated there is an increasing proportion of lower wage non-durable goods manufacturing jobs." (Vermont Economic Progress Council 1994 Report)

Vermont's employment sectors include:

• Agriculture and other resource based industries, including farming and agricultural services, in which employment increased by 4.2 percent, from 1,936 in the first quarter of 1993 to 2,020 in the first quarter of 1994. Jobs in the resource-based mineral mining industry decreased by 2.7 percent over the same period, down to 403. Meanwhile, employment in the manufacturing of food products, which we consider to be agriculture-related, grew by 3.7 percent to 3,904 people. Employment in the resource-based lumber and wood products industry also showed strong 4.4 percent growth from 1993 to 1994, bringing it to 3,757 employees. (Vermont Economic Progress Council 1994 Report)
• The goods and services sector, manufacturing employment, at 43,222, showed no real growth. Services, trade and finance gained 5,501 jobs over the year, while contract construction employed 409 more people in 1994 than 1993. Service sector firms now pay out more wages than any other sector for the first time in our state's history, but the average service job pays only 65 percent of manufacturing pay. (Vermont Economic Progress Council 1994 Report)
• The education sector continued to grow with 29,728 people working in Vermont's educational services in 1994 as compared to 28,829 in 1993. (Vermont Economic Progress Council 1994 Report)
• Vermont's travel and recreation sector is a $1.73 billion industry which employed 29,200 people in 1993, up almost 3 percent from the 28,400 employed in 1992. (Vermont Economic Progress Council 1994 Report)

In December 1994 the Vermont rate of unemployment was down by 0.8 percentage point from a year ago, and is 1.2 percentage points lower than the national rate.

Occupation

More than half (57%) of the state's employed residents hold white collar jobs. Fewer than half as many (26%) are in blue collar occupations. About 14% are in service occupations and 4% are in farming and forestry occupations.

Nearly a third of adults (25 years or older) have college degrees, including 9% who have graduate degrees. On the other hand, 19% have less than a high school education, and another third ended their formal education with a high school diploma.

Coordination

In the last few years, affordable housing providers and representatives of health, mental health, and service agencies have substantially strengthened their networking and coordination activities. The State, through the Department of Housing and Community Affairs, has actively encouraged and participated in these efforts, and will continue to do so.

Vision for Change

In preparing this first consolidated planning document, the State of Vermont looked for broad guidance to the goals articulated by Congress and HUD:

• Provide decent housing: through activities which assist homeless persons to obtain affordable housing; retain the affordable housing stock; increase the availability of permanent housing that is affordable to low-income citizens without discrimination; and increase supported housing that enables persons with special needs to live in dignity.
• Provide a suitable living environment: through activities which improve the safety and livability of neighborhoods and communities; increase access to quality facilities and services; reduce the isolation of income groups by providing housing opportunities in mixed income settings; revitalize neighborhoods; and restore, enhance, and preserve natural and physical features of special value for historic, architectural or aesthetic reasons; and conserve energy resources.
• Expand economic opportunities: through activities which create jobs accessible to low- income persons; provide access to credit for community development that promotes long- term economic and social viability; and empower low-income persons to achieve self- sufficiency in federally-assisted and public housing.

The strategy and plan which follow identify the State of Vermont's most pressing housing and community development needs and the State's proposed activities in allocating HUD resources to meet those needs during the years 1995-1999. It must be understood that the State's ability to implement this strategy and plan is dependent upon continued federal resources from HUD and other federal agencies at customary levels.

Housing and Community Development Objectives and Priorities

Downtowns: A New Emphasis on Downtown Preservation and Revitalization

Vermont's downtowns were once the commercial and social heart of Vermont life. Over the last several decades, however, economic, technological and social trends have brought enormous changes, frequently with adverse impacts on village and town centers. As a result, we have seen major disinvestment in many of the state' s key downtown areas, leaving run-down buildings, vacant store fronts and upper stories, and reduced tax base. At the same time, many Vermonters believe that we have lost much of the sense of community focus once found in downtown centers.

In response to growing concerns about this aspect of Vermont's future, Governor Hoard Dean announced a new initiative -- the Vermont Downtown Program. To be administered through the Agency of Development and Community Affairs, the program will work to coordinate state programs and activities, using state projects to bring new private investment to downtown areas. Initial focus will be on ADCA's major programs: Community Development, Economic Development, Historic Preservation, Housing, Planning, and Travel and Tourism. With this new emphasis on downtowns, the Department of Housing and Community Affairs hopes to encourage communities to come forward with applications to the VCDP and HOME program for projects focussing on community preservation and revitalization.

For the 1995-1999 period covering Vermont's Consolidated Plan, funding preference for all programs in this plan will be given to projects that maintain the historic settlement patterns of compact village and town centers separated by rural countryside. This is meant to include:

• economic development projects which encourage job creation, maintenance or improvement in locally designated growth centers, or which revitalize existing village and town centers;
• housing projects which encourage appropriately dense affordable residential development in downtown areas and/or areas related to community centers;
• public infrastructure investments in support of affordable housing or employment opportunities, or to reduce or eliminate pollution, or to reinforce the general, often historic, character and planned growth pattern of the area in question; and
• projects which recycle/reuse existing manufacturing and commercial sites.

The over-arching principle which drives all of Vermont's efforts in affordable housing is to continue to strive to achieve perpetual affordability through the use of mechanisms which produce housing resources that remain affordable over time. This principle applies to all affordable housing priorities stated below.

• House families and individuals at very low income levels, with special preference to projects housing families and individuals at or below 30% of area median income, including persons with special needs;
• Address the preservation and production of mobile home parks , including infrastructure improvements and new site development;
• Preserve and rehabilitate existing units to housing quality standards, with priority to lead hazard reduction, including acquisition;
• Accomplish mixed income developments, including shared housing, to create integrated communities;
• Demonstrate leverage of resources and cost-effectiveness, including building weatherization, energy efficiency, and fuel switching available from private and public programs;
• Address the current and potential need for accessibility modifications and adaptable units to serve Vermonters with physical disabilities; and
• Enhance opportunities to sustain and increase homeownership, including limited equity cooperatives, among very low and low income households and households headed by individuals with special needs.

Priorities are not ranked in any particular order of importance. Projects which satisfactorily address more than one priority are preferred.

Non-Housing Community Development Priorities for 1995-1999

• Support the health and growth of existing Vermont businesses;
• Encourage new business start-ups by Vermont residents;
• Further the development of a strong environmental goods and services sector;
• Promote the growth of high technology manufacturing and producer services;
• Support the re-use and re-adaptation of existing buildings and locations;
• Move the state toward an average wage equal to 100% of the national wage; and
• Create or preserve jobs for residents with special needs.

• Focus on improvements to existing buildings and areas, with particular emphasis on the downtown and village centers;
• Provide infrastructure for the creation and/or retention of jobs; and
• Remove barriers to accessibility by persons with physical disabilities.

• Provide services that support job creation and/or retention such as job training;
• Provide services that support housing; and
• Provide services to persons with special needs.

Anti-Poverty Strategy

In Vermont, the State's goals, programs, and policies for reducing the number of households with incomes below the poverty line are coordinated primarily through the Agency of Human Services' State Economic Opportunity Office (AHS/ SEOO), designated as the lead anti-poverty agency by the Governor in 1981. SEOO administers the federal Community Services Block Grant program and a number of programs which address the housing needs of low-income Vermonters.

Through its programs, the SEOO provides a range of services and activities to impact on the causes and effects of poverty in Vermont. A common theme among its local programs is the active participation of low-income people, working in cooperation with public officials and leaders of the private sector. The programs share a common goal: the achievement of self-sufficiency, emphasizing self-reliance and institutional change.

In its efforts to achieve the goals noted above, SEOO works closely with and through Vermont's five Community Action Agencies: Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, Inc; Northeast

Kingdom Community Action; Central Vermont Community Action; Bennington-Rutland Opportunity Council; and Southeastern Vermont Community Action.

Representatives of several departments within the Agency of Human Services have historically worked with the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) and other housing entities to assure that housing services reach Vermont's neediest citizens.

The development and implementation of the State's Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) in recent years helped move Vermont's housing and social services infrastructures toward a more deliberate course in reducing the number of households with incomes below the poverty line. Priorities for the HOME program support the CHAS agenda.

The Vermont State Housing Authority and local housing authorities serve as primary vehicles for the implementation of HUD priorities regarding self-sufficiency among lower income families, particularly through the Agency of Human Services' Department of Social Welfare's welfare-to-work program, Reach Up. This program relies in part on a network of community-based providers and Vermont's housing authorities who are linking their self-sufficiency efforts to Reach Up. In the coming year, the State will continue to support the efforts of these organizations in developing programs which encourage families toward greater economic self-sufficiency: Barre Housing Authority; Burlington Housing Authority; and Vermont State Housing Authority.

Housing and Community Development Resources

Formula/Entitlement Programs: CDBG, DOE/Other Energy Programs, ESGP, Federal Job Training

Partnership Act, HOME,National Park Service, Public Housing Comprehensive Grants, and Department of Transportation, HOPWA.

Competitive Programs: Historic Tax Credits, Permanent Housing for the Handicapped Homeless, Public Housing Development, RECD Programs, Rental Certificates and Vouchers, Shelter Plus

Care,Small Business Administration , Transitional Housing.

Federal Home Loan Bank Community Investment and Affordable Housing Programs (FHLB), Other Private Lender Programs, Vermont Community Loan Fund, Vermont Economic Development Authority, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, VHFA Mortgage Revenue Bonding, and VT Department of Environmental Conservation.

Coordination of activities related to the implementation of the Consolidated Plan will be led by the Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Agency of Development and Community Affairs. The Department will work closely with the Department of Economic Development and the Division of Historic Preservation within the agency. Primary external partners will be the Agency of Human Services, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Rural Economic and Community Development, Vermont State Housing Authority and the City of Burlington. The Department will also work closely with the Vermont Housing Council and the Vermont Community Development Program Board to oversee implementation of this plan and for advice on related policy matters.

Description of Key Projects

Vermont Community Development Program:
   Implementation Grants                             $ 8,138,000
     (Includes $400,000 for Lead-Based
     Paint Hazard Reduction) 

   Planning Grants                                       358,000

   Technical Assistance                                   89,550

   Microenterprise Technical Assistance                   89,550

   Administration                                        279,100


HOME Program:
   Statewide Program: Acquisition Rehabilitation 
   Program, 
   New Construction Program, Rehabilitation of 
   Existing Owner
   Occupied Manufactured Homes Program                 2,700,000

   CHDOs                                                 700,000

   City of Burlington HOME Program                       450,000

   Administration                                        350,000


HOPWA Program:
   Statewide program to provide a wide range of 
   services and housing supports
(three-year grant)                                       719,950


Emergency Shelter Grant Program
   Assistance to municipalities and non-profit
   organizations to provide emergency shelters,
   day centers, drop-in centers and support
   services for homeless families and/or individuals     293,000

Locations

Municipalities and non-profit organizations throughout Vermont; the City of Burlington.

Lead Agencies

Department of Housing and Community Affairs for CDBG; contracts with the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and the City of Burlington for HOME; contract with the Agency of Human Services for ESG. Vermont Housing and Conservation Board administers HOPWA.

Department of Housing and Community Affairs
109 State Street
Montpelier, Vermont 05609-0501
PH: 802-828-3217,
FAX: 802-828-2928