First steps

Every community is different so start by learning what kinds of homes local people need.  A Housing Needs Assessment frames the discussion by posing questions such as:

• Who can and cannot afford to live in this community?
• In what direction is our community headed in providing quality housing to a broad spectrum of residents?
• Can our children afford to remain in, or return to, the community as they form their own households? Are populations with special housing needs given adequate housing options? 
• Does the community offer adequate options for people with special housing needs?
• Are there substandard, overcrowded, or other living conditions that are not decent that should be addressed?
• Do we provide the types of housing that promote local economic development?

Assessments can range from a quick review of existing data to an in-depth study including these options:

• Gain an overview of the housing issues facing your county and the state as a whole by reviewing Vermont’s 2020 Housing Needs Assessment.
• Familiarize yourself with the Community Profile information that is readily available and updated on this Vermont Housing Data website.
• Conduct a full Housing Needs Assessment with help from municipal staff or a consultant, using the following tools:

• Vermont Housing Needs Assessment Guide
• Existing assessments for Vermont communities

Get grounded in the facts as your first step towards effective advocacy and action.

Municipal (town) plans in Vermont must include: a recommended program for addressing low- and moderate-income persons' housing needs as identified by the regional planning commission pursuant to subdivision 4348(a)(9).

Your municipal planning commission must also update the plan at least once every eight years but the commission can also amend the plan at any time to address community concerns, including any language brought forward by housing advocates.

The municipal plan provides a comprehensive policy basis for changes to municipal land use regulations including zoning, and can offer a framework for other municipal actions to help address housing needs, such as conducting studies, acquiring land, and investing in infrastructure improvements. 

For details on the planning process, see the Vermont State Planning Manual. While housing is addressed throughout, see page 59 for advice on housing goals and objectives.  Your regional planning commission is an important resource for this work.

The Vermont Land Use Implementation Manual offers an overview of the planning and permitting tools available to municipalities to further their goals and objectives.  In particular, see the topic papers on Housing Programs and Housing Regulations.

Most Vermont towns do not have municipal staff dedicated to housing. Typically, the purpose of a housing committee is to assess and recommend ways to improve the affordability of the town's housing stock for its residents and workers. Although the steps below are focused on establishing a municipally-sponsored committee, several other organizational structures have been pursued with success in Vermont, such as resident advocacy groups and faith-based committees.

Typical steps for forming a town-sponsored standing committee

1. Suggest the committee to the town's board of elected representatives.

2. Select a committee structure. Options include: 

• Subcommittee of municipal Planning Commission
• Subcommittee of town board of elected representatives 
• Modeling the structure of an existing committee

3. Identify any specific town objectives the committee should be tasked with.

• Has a Housing Needs Assessment been completed recently for the town or region? Consider tasking the committee with reviewing this assessment and making specific recommendations to address the needs identified.
• Has the town-elected board been faced with specific local issues pertaining to housing, such as the impact of a new employer in the area increasing demand for homes for its workers?  The new housing committee could be charged with making recommendations to address this new dynamic.

4. Draft a charter or resolution for the elected board and request including it on the agenda of an upcoming public meeting. (Examples: Essex, Winooski, South Burlington)

5. Recruit potential committee members and set terms. (Committee membership strategies)

6. Ask elected board to approve members.

• Some communities "interview" applicants at a meeting of the elected board. Others suggest a full initial roster of members and terms for a approval by the board.   

7. Initiate first committee meeting.

• Task one of the members to convene the first meeting or set a place and time for the first meeting and invite all members. 

8. Elect officers and clarify roles. Typical roles: 

• President
• Vice President
• Secretary - draft and post minutes, ensure meetings are warned 
• Liaison(s) to other relevant committee(s) such as planning commission 
• Spokesperson for public meetings related to housing

9. Review charter from elected board and conditions in the community to prioritize.      

• Participate in regional planning via your town's regional planning commission. 
• Consider a Vermont Municipal Planning Grant or Small Grant for Smart Growth to research opportunities and plan next steps.
• Subscribe to the news feeds published by the Thriving Communities initiative and the Vermont Housing Finance Agency. 
• Seek technical assistance by contacting Jess Hyman at the Thriving Communities Initiative of CVOEO or Leslie Black-Plumeau at Vermont Housing Finance Agency.
• Help identify important land within the community and identify opportunities for housing development or redevelopment.
• Conduct a land use regulation audit to identify barriers to affordable housing  (Example: Essex) 
• Institute Housing Impact Analyses for identifying unintended housing impacts of proposed local policy changes. 
• Consider donating or selling municipal land for housing development
• Strongly support housing projects throughout the development process
• Seek funds from the VT Community Development Program or VT Community Foundation for developing additional affordable housing. 
• Promote accessory dwelling units (ADU)
• Create a Housing Trust Fund
• Promote affordable homeownership through Shared Equity Model (via Community Land Trusts) and sweat equity programs. 
• Apply for state designation (Downtown, Neighborhood, etc.) to trigger incentives for the housing development
• Set targets for the number of units or portion of housing stock affordable to low and moderate income households.