WESTMINSTER-Housing affordability, food insecurity, and rising energy costs continue to place significant strain on individuals and families across southeastern Vermont, according to Southeastern Vermont Community Action’s (SEVCA) 2025 Community Needs Assessment.
Over the past year, SEVCA engaged 630 residents, community partners, and local leaders across Windham and Windsor counties through surveys, interviews, and community meetings to better understand emerging needs and barriers to well-being.
The assessment found that while needs remain high, community members also identified opportunities to strengthen services, improve coordination, and make support systems easier to access.
Key findings include:
• Housing, energy assistance, and food security remain among the region’s most pressing needs.
• Transportation barriers, geographic isolation, limited digital access, and complex systems continue to make it difficult for individuals and families to connect with services.
• Residents expressed a need for increased outreach and clearer communication about available resources.
• Opportunities exist to strengthen partnerships and improve coordination across programs and organizations.
“Community Action begins with listening,” SEVCA Executive Director Joshua Davis said in a news release. “This assessment reinforces what many in our communities experience every day: challenges are interconnected, and solutions must be as well. The findings will help guide our efforts to strengthen services, partnerships, and systems so that individuals and families have the support they need to thrive.”
The Community Needs Assessment will directly inform SEVCA’s three-year strategic plan, which is currently being developed by staff and the Board of Directors. The plan will help shape how SEVCA responds to evolving community needs and will advance its mission of partnering with individuals and communities to alleviate hardships, create opportunities, and address the root causes of poverty.
In the coming months, SEVCA will release additional information about its updated mission and vision statements and the strategic priorities that will guide the organization into the future. For the full recap on the community needs assessment, visit sevca.org/community-needs-survey.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.