At its May meeting, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB) invested in permanently affordable housing developments and protections for farmland, working forest, and natural areas. The funding decisions will support projects in nine of Vermont’s 14 counties.

“Being mindful of how we balance our land use choices is crucial to building Vermont’s strength and resilience,” said VHCB executive director Gus Seelig. “Our Board is committed to our dual-goal mission, and that commitment is reflected in these awards. Each of these projects – whether in support of more affordable homeownership opportunities, protecting agricultural lands, expanding shelter, improving farmworker housing, preserving natural areas, or developing permanently affordable rental housing – will have impacts that benefit the entire state.”

Funding was approved to support improvements to a manufactured home community, expansion of an emergency shelter, development of 48 new units of permanently affordable rental housing, rehab of 15 existing units, and creation of six single-family homes and two duplexes for homeownership. Awards were also made to increase homeownership for moderate-income homebuyers and to expand and improve housing for Vermont’s farm workers statewide.

Nearly $3 million for the conservation of over 1,000 acres in six counties was also approved. Conservation projects that received awards will safeguard 794 acres of farm and working forest land from development and keep it affordable for future generations, preserve 214 acres of natural areas, and protect riparian buffer zones, water resources, biodiversity, and wildlife habitat.

SUMMARY OF AWARDS:

Addison County
$172,000 to Vermont Land Trust for the conservation of 51 acres of farmland in Granville.
$103,500 to Vermont Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation for the conservation of 21.5 acres of natural area in Granville.

Bennington County
$502,000 to Vermont Land Trust for the conservation of 195 acres of farmland in Rupert.

Caledonia County
$2,662,500 award to RuralEdge for the renovation and expansion of an emergency shelter in St. Johnsbury, doubling its capacity from 20 to 40 guests.

Chittenden County
$450,000 to Milton Mobile Home Park for essential improvements to a manufactured home community in Milton.
$1,094,000 to Vermont Land Trust for the conservation of 242 acres of farmland in Milton.
$920,000 to Champlain Housing Trust for the construction of six single family homes and one duplex, for a total of eight homes for permanently affordable homeownership through Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity in Underhill.

Franklin County
$29,258 for the conservation of 146.76 acres of private working forest in Bakersfield.

Orleans County
$852,000 award to RuralEdge for the rehab of 15 existing permanently affordable multifamily units in Barton.

Rutland County

$567,000 to the Vermont Land Trust for two separate projects that will conserve a total of 129 acres of farmland in Pawlet.
$206,000 for the conservation of 192 acres of natural area in Pawlet.

Windsor County
$5,029,750 to Twin Pines Housing Trust & Evernorth for the new construction of 48 permanently affordable apartment units in Hartford.

Windham County
$260,000 to Vermont Land Trust for the conservation of 29.8 acres of farmland in Putney.

Statewide
$1,000,000 for the recapitalization of the VHCB Homeownership Pool to support buyer-driven purchases of homes on the open market or smaller new construction developments of five or less homes.
$1,000,000 to Champlain Housing Trust for the recapitalization of the Farmwork Housing Repair and Replacement Program ($595,000 for the repair loan program and $405,000 for the replacement housing program) to ensure that these programs can continue to operate and fund projects over the next year.