Ellen Pratt
Winston Prouty seeks to build 300 affordable housing units
BRATTLEBORO-Chloe Learey, executive director of the Winston Prouty Center for Child and Family Development in West Brattleboro, has a vision to build 300 units of diverse housing on the center's 180-acre campus.
Guided by the belief that an inclusive community is ultimately healthier for everyone, Learey's goal is to provide housing that is affordable to many people with different needs.
Construction innovator looks to take on housing crisis
Brattleboro firm creates modular rooms and works to develop open standards for their installation, hoping to weaken one barrier to affordable housing: construction cost
BRATTLEBORO-Talk to anybody about Vermont's housing crisis, and the subject of high construction costs will inevitably come up. It currently costs about $500,000 to build a modest apartment or small home in the state, according to the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA). That's up from about $370,000 in 2022.
‘Nobody needs a 7,000 square foot house anymore’
A state program encourages ‘mom and pop’ landlords to develop affordable housing
BRATTLEBORO-A state pandemic-era program aimed at encouraging "mom-and-pop landlords" to create affordable housing is set to launch a second round of grant funding this spring. With millions of dollars to be awarded statewide, the Vermont Housing Improvement Program (VHIP) provides these local housing developers up to $50,000 per unit...
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Thinking regionally
Chris Campany sounded a municipal alarm. "Every day I see our towns holding on by a thread or breaking, and I fear those doing the work of towns are on the verge of breaking as well," the executive director of the Windham Regional Commission (WRC) wrote in a recent opinion piece published by VTDigger. Campany noted that towns have limited capacity to meet the increasing demands of basic town management, including dealing with storm damage, managing major infrastructure planning and...
‘Homelessness is not acceptable. It is a crisis. It is a tragedy. And it is preventable.’
On a 25-degree afternoon, about 60 people - some without hats, gloves, or boots - held a candlelight vigil in Pliny Park to acknowledge and grieve the 19 unhoused local people who died last year. It was Homelessness Awareness Day on Jan. 18, and Vermonters across the state were renewing their commitment to end homelessness. "In 2023 almost 8,000 Vermonters experienced homelessness, including 2,000 children," event organizer Fred Breunig told the gathering. "Over the past year, local service providers supported...
Advocates will seek $200 million from state for housing needs
For the first time, Vermont's affordable housing and homelessness advocates have joined forces and are calling for more than $200 million in public funding to address the state's housing and homelessness crises. Prioritizing the urgent need for more permanently affordable housing - housing built on the condition that rents will always be capped - the Housing & Homelessness Alliance of Vermont (HHAV) is asking the Vermont Legislature for $160 million in one-time funding for the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board...
WSESU confronts homelessness among its students
The Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU) has identified 90 school-aged children and youth in the district who are experiencing homelessness. This is 10 more than were identified last year and includes about seven "unaccompanied youth" - older teenagers who are separated from a parent or guardian. Tricia Hill is the district's McKinney-Vento liaison (named for the federal legislation that funds the position), required at every school district that receives Title I funds. In this position, Hill identifies homeless youth and...
WSESU confronts homelessness among its students
The Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU) has identified 90 school-aged children and youth in the district who are experiencing homelessness. This is 10 more than were identified last year and includes about seven "unaccompanied youth" - older teenagers who are separated from a parent or guardian. Tricia Hill is the district's McKinney-Vento liaison (named for the federal legislation that funds the position), required at every school district that receives Title I funds. In this position, Hill identifies homeless youth and...