Vermont Housing Glossary

A home built in conjunction with an existing home, either as a free standing accessory unit, or within the confines of the original structure. ADUs are typically built on the same lot as their associated main home.

According to Vermont law (24 VSA §4412), municipalities must allow accessory dwelling units. However, municipalities may also choose to adjust local bylaws to actively encourage the construction of ADUs.
 

Housing where the household pays no more than 30% of their gross income towards total housing costs. 

 AirDNA is a provider of data and analytics for the short-term rental industry. AirDNA collects short-term rental data from public and proprietary sources, including Airbnb and Vrbo data, monitoring over 10 million properties in 120,000 markets worldwide.

To capture population and household characteristics data during the intervening years between the Decennial Census, the Census Bureau additionally conducts the American Community Survey (ACS).  The ACS samples a smaller number of households to develop estimates for the population to produce demographic, social, housing and economic estimates in the form of 1-year, 3-year and 5-year estimates based on population thresholds. The strength of the ACS is in estimating population and housing characteristics for small areas on an annual basis.

ACS data on the Vermont Community Profiles are obtained or derived from the ACS 5-year rolling estimates. For example, the 2023 ACS estimates are derived from surveys completed between 2019 and 2023. Although some of the Vermont Community Profile visualizations allow users to compare ACS estimates from different years, the Census Bureau cautions users about identifying year-to-year trends if estimates are based on overlapping 5-year periods.  

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in many areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and many public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. The ADA is divided into five titles (or sections) that relate to different areas of public life.

Area Median Income (AMI) is a HUD derived value reflective of local household income. These thresholds are then used to inform many federal and state affordable housing programs to ensure programs reach the particular targeted income group.

• Very low-income – 30% AMI


• Low income – 60% AMI


• Middle-income – 80-120% AMI

Area Median Income is used to specifically to inform the Section 8 program income limits. For more information about AMI methodology, visit the HUD Section 8 Income Limits page.

Allowing building proposals that fit within the specifications of local zoning policies to proceed "as of right", without additional review. Developers still need to secure a building permit and fulfill customary regulatory requirements, but the approvals process is generally less contentious and/or time-consuming than the process for proposals that require an exception from current zoning regulations. Through the revision of zoning policies, jurisdictions can significantly broaden the types of housing that are allowed as of right, thus simplifying and reducing the cost and time of delivering homes.

The combination of multiple funding sources that developers assemble to cover the cost of a project.

This is a monthly survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau which provides national, state, and local data on the number of new housing units authorized by building permits.

For more information about Building Permit Survey methodology, visit the Census Bureau's BPS site.

Person under the age of 18.

The closing costs are costs customarily chargeable to the buyer for items that are incidental to a real estate transaction. These costs include the initial service charge of the mortgage, cost of title search, charges for the preparation of deed and mortgage documents, mortgage tax, recording fees, and similar items.

Community Action Agencies are the main anti-poverty support in the United States, with all areas of the country served by their local community action agency. Vermont’s five Community Action Agencies (BROC, Capstone, CVOEO, NEKCA, & SEVCA)  help lower-income Vermonters to meet their basic needs and become self-sufficient.

CAAs are intended to promote self-sufficiency, and they depend heavily on volunteer work, especially from the low-income community. The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) is the agencies’ core federal funding. Agencies also operate a variety of grants that come from federal, state and local sources. These grants vary widely among agencies, although most CAAs operate Head Start programs, which focus on early child development. Other programs frequently administered by Community Action Agencies include Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) utility grants and Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) funded through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

For more information about Vermont's Community Action Agencies, visit the Vermont Community Action Partnership (VCAP) website.

Created under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program provides grant funds to local and state governments to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing with a suitable living environment and expanding economic opportunities to assist low- and moderate-income residents. CDBG funds may be used for activities including, but are not limited to: acquisition of property; relocation and demolition; rehabilitation of residential and non-residential structures; and activities relating to energy conservation and renewable energy resources.

In Vermont, the City of Burlington receives its own CDBG funding from HUD and the State receives a separate allocation to cover the rest of the state outside of the greater Burlington area.

Each year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) receives custom tabulations of American Community Survey (ACS) data from the U.S. Census Bureau. These data, known as the "CHAS" data (Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy), demonstrate the extent of housing problems and housing needs, particularly for low income households.

The primary purpose of the CHAS data is to demonstrate the number of households in need of housing assistance. This is estimated by the number of households that have certain housing problems and have income low enough to qualify for HUD’s programs (primarily 30, 50, and 80 percent of median income). The CHAS data set also disaggregates data by additional characteristics for potentially vulnerable populations, including the elderly, disabled, minorities, and different household types.

For more information about CHAS, visit the HUD CHAS website.

CoCs are the local planning bodies responsible for coordinating the full range of homelessness services in a geographic area, which may cover a city, county, metropolitan area, or an entire state. 

A CoC consists of a partnership of service & resource providers, housing developers, state agencies, and others in the homelessness or low-income service system in a geographic region. CoCs monitor and address housing and service gaps through proactive solutions and manage annual funding from the US Department of Housing & Urban Development.
 

Households are cost burdened when they are paying more than 30% of their gross household income towards their housing costs. 

Households are considered severely cost burdened when they pay more than 50% of their income towards housing costs.

Current Employment Statistics (CES) provides a monthly estimate of total nonfarm payroll employment for Vermont. It also estimates employment by industry.

CES is a program of the VT Dept. or Labor's Economic & Labor Market Information division in collaboration with the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Estimates are derived from a survey of approximately 1,200 Vermont firms representing 2,500 establishments across all industries each month.

All CES data can be found on the Economic & Labor Market Information Division's website.

The Decennial Census is conducted once every ten years by the U.S. Census Bureau, and is intended to survey all households in the United States. Article I of the Constitution requires that a census be taken every ten years for the purpose of reapportioning the U.S. House of Representatives. The Decennial Census has been conducted every ten years since 1790. This survey is the foundation of demographic analysis in the U.S., but collecting the data is a highly resource intensive effort requiring years of planning and administration.

Municipal planning ordinances that allow developers to increase the maximum allowable development on a property in exchange for making a certain percentage of the housing affordable. May be incorporated into inclusionary zoning requirements

Development or capital financing supports a wide range of development activities including buying, building, and rehabilitating property. These one-time funding resources, typically structured as loans, are used to “capitalize” or fund housing development or rehabilitation. Most affordable housing projects rely on multiple funding sources to piece together a feasible affordable housing financing plan. Parties interested in pursuing affordable housing development should become familiar with capital financing resources for afford able housing development. 

Development costs include: 

• “Hard costs” such as rehabilitation and/or new construction, as well as


• “Soft costs” such as:
  
  
  
  • Architect, development consultants, and attorneys;
  
  
  • Insurance coverage;
  
  
  • Operating charges during construction such as taxes or security; financing fees; and the developer’s fee
  
  
  • Reserves to address unanticipated future expenses, maintenance, and project service provision 
  
  
  
  

A facility with the primary purpose of providing temporary shelter for people experiencing homelessness. 

Housing that is non-exclusionary based on the identity of a prospective renter or homebuyer. This definition and concept originally come from the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

This monthly rental amount standard is a HUD derived value reflective of the local rental market. Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are used to determine payment standard amounts for the Housing Choice Voucher program and many other HUD administered housing assistance programs. Generally, HUD will set the FMRs at the 40th percentile gross rents for standard quality units within the local area.

For more information about Fair Market Rent, visit the HUD FMR dataset website.

HUD regulates two housing-related government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which were chartered by Congress to create a secondary market for residential mortgage loans. They are considered "government-sponsored" because Congress authorized their creation and established their public purposes.

The Affordable Housing Program (AHP) is locally awarded by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston to address, in partnership with member institutions, the affordable-housing needs of communities across New England. Ten percent of the Bank's net earnings funds the program, which awards grants and low-interest advances, or loans, through member institutions. The Bank's member institutions work with local housing organizations to apply for funds to support initiatives that serve very low- to moderate-income households in their communities. The actual terms are determined by the member financial-institution applicant, based on the specific needs of the development.

The amount of the contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, and water and sewer) and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.) if these are paid for by the renter (or paid for the renter by someone else).

A "group quarters" is a place where people live or stay, in a group living arrangement, that is owned or managed by an entity or organization providing housing and/or services for the residents. People living in group quarters are usually not related to each other.  Group quarters include such places as college residence halls, residential treatment centers, skilled nursing facilities, group homes, military barracks, correctional facilities, and workers' dormitories. The Census Bureau classifies all people not living in housing units as living in group quarters.
 

The average annual percent change in the population, resulting from a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths and the balance of migrants entering and leaving a country. The rate may be positive or negative. Also known as population growth rate or average annual rate of growth.

The number of households divided by the total number of adults

Physical dwelling unit suitable for one household. A house, an apartment, a mobile home, a group of rooms, or a single room occupied as separate living quarters, or if vacant, intended for occupancy as separate living quarters. The Census Bureau refers to these individual dwellings, regardless of structure type, as a “housing unit”. 

Enacted by Congress in 1975, HMDA provides the most comprehensive source of publicly available information on the U.S. Mortgage Market. HMDA is a disclosure law that requires the collection and disclosure of data about applicant and borrower characteristics to assist in identifying possible discriminatory lending patterns and enforcing antidiscrimination statutes.

Pursuant to the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, as of 2018 HMDA data was to be submitted to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau via an online portal named the HMDA Platform. The first year of data submitted via this process was 2017.

For more information about HMDA, visit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) website.

The HOME Program can be used in: developing rental housing, tenant-based rental assistance, homeownership activities, and homeowner repair. This housing must adhere to certain limits on the amount of income a tenant in a HOME-funded unit can earn, as well as limits on the rent that can be charged for a unit. 

The HOME program is administered through the City of Burlington for the Greater Burlington Area, and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board administers the program for the rest of the state. 

The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is an annual survey of people experiencing homelessness, conducted in all communities in the United States. Through a coordinated effort, housing support agencies aim to interview all people who meet the federal definition of “literal homelessness” on a single day in January, whether they are unsheltered or temporarily sheltered in places such as emergency housing, a publicly funded hotel room, or transitional housing.

Since 2007, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has required all states to conduct an annual PIT Count to continue receiving funds for homelessness assistance. The resulting dataset is the only comprehensive view of people experiencing homelessness in the United States over time. The survey is conducted annually during the last week of January – the data does not show how many people are entering and exiting homelessness in an area over the year, instead focusing on accurately recording the instances of homelessness on the night of the survey.

The survey is administered across the country by local housing service providers through a coalition model known as the Continuum of Care (CoC). Vermont has two HUD-recognized Continua of Care (CoCs): the Chittenden County Homeless Alliance (CCHA) which covers Chittenden County and the Vermont Balance of State CoC (VT BoS CoC) that encompasses the other 11 counties. Each region in the state also has a local group focused on regional homelessness prevention and intervention efforts. These groups were formerly called Local CoCs and are now called Local Housing Coalitions.

The results of PIT are likely an under-count of the true instances of homelessness in a community. Collecting the data is highly resource intensive, requiring the coordination of many agencies attempting to reach some of the most marginalized Vermonters. The data is reliant on housing support workers and volunteers counting and interviewing people sleeping in unsheltered locations during the January weather. Vermont consistently has a much greater portion of people in temporary shelter during the survey than people who are fully unsheltered. The count also does not include people imminently at risk of homelessness or who may be living somewhere temporarily (couch surfing or staying with family) as the data would be too difficult to collect.

For more information about the Point in Time Count, visit the HUD PIT website or visit the Housing & Homelessness Alliance of Vermont for state specific resources.

A homestead is the principal dwelling and parcel of land surrounding the dwelling, owned and occupied by the resident as the person’s domicile. By Vermont law, property owners whose homes meet the definition of a Vermont homestead must file a Homestead Declaration annually. 

In Vermont, all property is subject to education property tax to pay for the state’s schools. For this purpose, the property is categorized as either nonhomestead or homestead. All property is considered nonhomestead, unless it is declared as a homestead. The education property tax rate levied on nonhomestead property differs from the rate levied on homestead property.
 

Group of people living together sharing one home. Household size is determined by the number of people sharing the dwelling unit on a full-time basis. 

When an additional household is formed, and therefore an additional housing unit is needed/occupied.

The local avenue for advancing the affordable housing conversation in Vermont. These groups, whether they are formal municipal committees, informal citizen discussion groups, or anything in between, can document existing housing stock, assess housing gaps, and influence local policy. Housing committees can benefit communities of any size, as evidenced by the many committees working around the state - and their many successes, ranging from local zoning changes to the creation of Housing Trust Funds.

Number of housing units within a geographic entity divided by the land area of that entity measured in square miles.

HFAs are the main funding vehicle for the development and maintenance of the county’s subsidized affordable housing stock. Every state has an HFA, most created in the 1970s to facilitate the development and preservation of affordable housing through state and federal programs. A primary focus of HFAs is the administration of the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program.

This report, published by HUD, provides an annual inventory of beds that provide assistance to people who are experiencing homelessness or transitioning out of their experience of homelessness.  

The Housing Inventory Count (HIC) is a point-in-time inventory of provider programs within a CoC that provide beds and units dedicated to serve people experiencing homelessness (and, for permanent housing projects, where homeless at entry, per the HUD homeless definition), categorized by five Program Types: Emergency Shelter; Transitional Housing; Rapid Re-housing; Safe Haven; and Permanent Supportive Housing.

For more information about the Point in Time Count, visit the HUD HIC website or visit the Housing & Homelessness Alliance of Vermont for state specific resources.

A document outlining the current conditions of an areas housing market. Study areas can range from municipality up to the state-level. Housing Needs Assessments, or HNAs, are used as a tool to quantify housing needs and advance the local conversation around housing interventions using data-informed decision making practices.

 The Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program is a HUD administered program specifically for the specific needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families. HOPWA makes grants to local communities, states, and nonprofit organizations for projects that benefit low-income persons medically diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and their families. HOPWA funds are awarded as grants from one of three programs. Also, people with HIV/AIDS are eligible for any HUD housing program designed for people with disabilities.

The Housing Opportunity Grant Program (HOP):

• provides funding to operate emergency shelters;


• provides essential services to shelter guests;


• provides transitional housing where appropriate;


• rapidly re-houses homeless individuals and families;


• prevents individuals and families experiencing a housing crisis from becoming homeless;


• implements coordinated entry to streamline client access to resources and


• administers the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

All structures in a location intended for full-year habitation, regardless of current tenure (owner/renter) or usage (primary/seasonal home). The housing stock does not included group quarters living arrangements (such as a dorm or assisted living community). Housing stock also does not include rooms in a shared structure for travel such as a hotel or inn.

Housing trust funds (HTF) can support construction or rehabilitation of owner or renter homes, including creating Accessory Dwelling Units. HTFs can be used to encourage young families to move in and renovate homes through grants, low-interest loans, or loan forgiveness over time.

Communities may work with state, regional, and county housing trust funds, or may choose to develop a local housing trust fund. Funding sources for HTFs include local options taxes, a percentage of property tax revenue, fund balances, bond proceeds, general fund appropriations, and dedicated fees. 

The Housing Wage is the hourly wage a household must earn while working 40 hours a week to afford a rental housing unit at HUD's Fair Market Rent (FMR) and pay no more than 30% of its income towards housing costs.  HUD Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are the 40th percentile of gross rents for typical, non-substandard rental units occupied by recent movers in a local housing market.  30% of income is the federal standard of affordability.

The income needed to afford an apartment at HUD's FMR is calculated by multiplying the FMR for the number of bedrooms by 12 to get the yearly rental cost and then divide by .30 to determine the total income needed for the unit to be affordable.

The Housing Wage as a percentage of minimum wage is calculated by dividing the housing wage by the Vermont minimum wage and multiplying by 100.

This is the median family income calculated by HUD for each jurisdiction, in order to determine Fair Market Rents (FMRs) and income limits for HUD programs. HAMFI will not necessarily be the same as other calculations of median incomes (such as a simple Census number), due to a series of adjustments that are made

Municipal planning ordinances that require or incentivize developers to set aside a certain percentage of affordable housing units for low and moderate-income residents.

Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) is a program of the VT Dept. of Labor's Economic & Labor Market Information Division in cooperation with the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. LAUS incorporates data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), Vermont’s Unemployment Insurance program, and Current Employment Statistics to generate monthly estimates of the number of Vermonters employed and unemployed (which combined equal the total labor force).

All LAUS data can be found on the Economic & Labor Market Information Division's website.

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) was designed by Congress to assist in the creation and preservation of affordable rental housing for low-income households. It is currently the most used funding source for developers creating housing for low-income households. It provides a reduction in federal tax liability over a 10-year period for owners of qualifying rental housing who agree to conform to certain operating restrictions for at least 15 years. This program is not administered by HUD, but instead is run through the Internal Revenue Service. The Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) is the state administering agency for this housing program for Vermont.

The United States (U.S.) Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is required by law to set income limits that determine the eligibility of applicants for HUD's assisted housing programs.

The statutory basis for HUD's income limit policies is Section 3 of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937, as amended. The key excerpts relevant to income limits, which may be summarized as follows: 

1. Low-income - incomes do not exceed 80 percent of the median income for the area. 


2. Very low-income - incomes do not exceed 50 percent of the median income for the area. 


3. Extremely low-income - incomes do not exceed the greater of 30 percent of the median income for the area or the federal poverty guidelines as published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The extremely low-income limits based on poverty guidelines are capped by the very low-income limit. 


4. Income limits for nonmetropolitan areas may not be less than limits based on the State nonmetropolitan median family income level. 

Manufactured homes are factory built homes that are then transported to their future site. Since 1968, all factory built homes that meet HUD standards are properly called “manufactured homes.” Vermont law does not distinguish between the terms “manufactured home” and “mobile home”.

According to HUD standards, “A manufactured home is defined as a movable dwelling, 8 feet or more wide and 40 feet or more long, designed to be towed on its own chassis, with transportation gear integral to the unit when it leaves the factory, and without need of a permanent foundation. These manufactured homes include multi-wides and expandable manufactured homes. Excluded are travel trailers, motor homes, and modular housing.”
 

Manufactured homes can be sited on privately owned land or in a land-lease community known as a manufactured home park. In these situations, the home is typically owned by the resident, while the land and utilities are owned by a private or non-profit entity.

Under Vermont law, the terms mobile home and manufactured home are used interchangeably.

Vermont law defines a mobile home parks as a piece of land that has more than two mobile homes or mobile home lots, or adjacent lots of land owned by the same owner with a total of two or more mobile homes or lots. There are limited exceptions for seasonal parks and housing for farm workers.

Mobile home park owners are required to register their park(s) with DHCD annually on September 1st and pay a lot fee of $12 per occupied leased lot. 

A margin of error is the difference between an estimate and its upper or lower confidence bounds. Confidence bounds can be created by adding the margin of error to the estimate (for an upper bound) and subtracting the margin of error from the estimate (for a lower bound). All published margins of error for the American Community Survey are based on a 90 percent confidence level.

Affordable housing development is best supported when there is a mix of incomes from tenants living in a property. To achieve this goal, some units may be subsidized through a federal, state, or local housing program, while other units in the same building or complex may be available to tenants regardless of their income, and with no restrictions on the rent asked or paid. These are referred to as "market rate units."

A loan received by a homebuyer to finance the purchase of their home.

Residential buildings containing units built one on top of another and those built side-by-side which do not have a ground-to-roof wall and/or have common facilities (i.e., attic, basement, heating plant, plumbing, etc.).

A Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is a dataset created by real estate agents for the purpose of consolidating and sharing information about the home sale market. This data is locally collected by 500+ local networks of real estate agents across the country, which are then combined to create a national dataset of homes for sale/recently sold. The data is standardized and accessible through the Real Estate Transaction Standard (RETS). This data usually includes details such as the listing price, bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage and other similar data points relevant to potential buyers.

Unlike most other data sources on HousingData.org, the MLS dataset is not created or published by the state or federal government. Instead, it is created by real estate agents and disseminated by data brokers. As such, homes that were sold without a real estate agent are not captured by the MLS dataset.

For more information about MLS, visit the National Association of Realtors site.

Organized local governments authorized in state statute. In Vermont, these include: a town, a city, an incorporated village, or an unorganized town/gore.

The difference between the number of live births and deaths during a given time period (usually one year). A positive natural population change indicates more births during the given period than deaths; a negative value indicates a population more deaths than births. Vermont has experienced negative natural population change every year since 2016.

Net migration is the net total of migrants during the period, including the number of immigrants into a location, and emigrants out of the same location. Net migration includes migration from domestic (national) sources as well as international migrants. A positive net migration indicates an area had more people move into the area than moved out.

NAICS is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy. NAICS is based on a production-oriented concept, meaning that it groups establishments into industries according to similarity in the processes used to produce goods or services.

For more information about NAICS, visit the U.S. Census Bureau NAICS site page.

According to 33 V.S.A. chapter 62, “Older Vermonters” means all individuals residing in this State who are 60 years of age or older. 

Other state and federal programs vary on specific age bracket cutoffs for how they define older age cohorts, typically falling between 60 to 65 in correspondence with the Social Security retirement benefits.

The operating budget is a projection of the costs to maintain the housing project once it is ready for occupancy. Operating housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness generally means housing people with extremely low incomes - a project’s operating budget will identify anticipated project income and determine whether that income is sufficient to cover anticipated project expenses after the project is occupied. Rental assistance (or operating subsidy) is typically necessary to ensure that an affordable housing project remains affordable to people with very low incomes and is financially viable over time.

Operating income can include: 

• Expected rent from tenants;


• Rental assistance (to help cover the difference between the rents paid by tenants and the full cost of ongoing operations);


• Operation grants from public or private sources.

Operating costs (both initial and long-term operating budgets) may include: 

• Maintenance of building or units;


• Utilities;


• Taxes;


• Security;


• Debt service or other loan payments;


• Marketing units;


• Leasing activities;


• Project management.

Areas created to promote certain types of development. Municipalities create separate zoning rules for the overlay district to encourage the intended type of development in addition to pre-existing zoning rules for the larger area. Many areas have overlay districts to protect natural resources or historic neighborhoods, but they can also be used to encourage affordable housing.

A housing unit is owner occupied if the owner or co-owner lives in the unit even if it is mortgaged or not fully paid for.

The provision of voluntary, housing-focused supportive services is the feature that differentiates permanent supportive housing (PSH) from traditional affordable housing, and PSH has been proven to be a highly effective intervention for people who have experienced homelessness. Few funding streams are specifically designed to cover services in supportive housing and PSH developers must be creative and flexible in their efforts to secure service funding resources and/or outsource services to community service providers. Appropriate supportive service activities may vary depending on the tenant population, and even within populations, the specific supportive services offered can vary greatly. 

Supportive services costs may include (as applicable to the project target population):

• Case management;


• Tenancy supports;


• Resident services to access community-based services;


• Substance-use counselors;


• Childcare workers.

Supportive services may be offered on-site or off-site or a combination of both depending project design and space available in the housing development.

All people living in a given area

Population aging refers to the relatively faster growth of the older population compared to the younger population and the resultant shifts in the age distribution of the population toward older ages. Population aging is commonly measured as an increasing median age or a rising share of the population above a certain age, such as 65.

Estimates of the population for future dates. They illustrate plausible courses of future population change based on assumptions about future births, deaths, international migration, and domestic migration. 

While projections and estimates may appear similar, there are some distinct differences between the two measures. Estimates usually are for the past, while projections typically are for future dates. Estimates generally use existing data, while projections must assume what demographic trends will be in the future. 
 

A graph demonstrating the distribution of a population according to age, usually by 5-year age groups.

The predevelopment phase of a project includes the tasks that must be completed before construction can begin. These activities typically include: 

• Architectural and engineering fees for initial schematic designs;


• Site location and environmental review/assessment;


• Due diligence necessary for determining whether a particular development project is feasible (market study);


• Legal fees;


• Preparing financial applications for permanent financing;


• Acquisition to secure and maintain property prior to development or rehabilitation.

Predevelopment and acquisition costs are incurred before construction begins and are typically financed with loans, so it is important to become familiar with the resources for predevelopment financing for affordable housing projects available in your community. Traditional lenders consider loans for these activities to be high risk and have high interest rates at levels that are prohibitive for organizations with fewer financial resources.

With project-based assistance, the rental subsidy is assigned to a specific housing unit, and any eligible household who moves into that unit will receive assistance to cover the portion of the rent that it cannot otherwise afford. 

Project-based rental assistance is the most nebulous of the rental assistance types, as apartments that fall in this category were developed under a collection of programs created over the last four decades. Apartments with PBRA are owned by private landlords who enter into contracts with HUD in order to receive housing subsidies. The subsidy arrangement is termed project-based because the assisted household may not take the subsidy and move to another location.

Apartments classified as project-based rental assistance include those built with funding from the following programs:

• Section 236 Rental Housing for Lower Income Families program (1968-1973),


• Section 8 New Construction/Substantial Rehab Program (1974-1983),


• Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Program (1978-1991),


• Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC)Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly (1990-2013)


• Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities (1990-2013)


• Rental Assistance Demonstration (2014 to present)

Property Transfer Tax (PTT) is a tax on the transfer of title to real property in Vermont collected by the Dept. of Taxes. The tax applies to both property transfers by deed and to acquisitions of a controlling interest in an entity with title to a property.

For more information, visit the Dept. of of Taxes PTT website.

In public housing, local housing agencies receive direct allocations of HUD funding to build, operate, or make improvements to dedicated affordable housing developments. Developments (or projects) created through the public housing program are owned by the local public housing agencies (PHAs). 

Public Housing projects were primarily built between 1940 and 1973, largely ending with the moratorium on HUD spending in 1973. Public housing was further limited in 1999 when the Faircloth Amendment capped the number of apartments able to receive public housing funding, preventing any further development of apartments with this type of rental assistance. Since 2011, public housing developments are eligible to transition to modern rental assistance platforms through a program known as the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), allowing these affordable apartments to continue to receive funding for maintenance and provision of rental assistance.

The American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files are a set of records from individual people or housing units, with disclosure protection enabled so that individuals or housing units cannot be identified. PUMS files enable data users to create custom estimates and tables, free of charge, that are not available through ACS pre-tabulated data products.

The U.S. Census Bureau collects race data in accordance with guidelines provided by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and these data are based on self-identification. The racial categories included in the census questionnaire generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country and not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically, or genetically. In addition, it is recognized that the categories of the race question include race and national origin or sociocultural groups. 

OMB requires that race data be collected for a minimum of five groups: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. OMB permits the Census Bureau to also use a sixth category – Some Other Race. Respondents may report more than one race.

Vermont’s eleven Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs) provide technical assistance to municipalities with planning and zoning considerations. Since Vermont does not have county governments, RPCs act as a link between municipal affairs and state government. RPCs work in fields that directly and indirectly affect the public at large: land use, transportation, housing, economic development, environmental quality, and more. In the absence of regional or county government in Vermont, the RPCs are an essential support for municipalities seeking to improve their local planning and land use efforts

Rental assistance programs provide subsidies that reduce rents for low-income tenants who meet program eligibility requirements. Generally, households pay rent equal to 30 percent of their incomes, after deductions, while the federal government pays the remainder of rent or rental costs. 

To qualify for a subsidy, an applicant’s income must initially fall below certain income limits. These income limits are program and location specific and vary by household size. These include special programs for designated populations such as families trying to reunite with their children, people with disabilities, people who are homeless, and people who are elderly. Applicants for rental assistance are usually placed on a waiting list until a subsidized unit or a voucher becomes available.

Since the passage of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937, the federal government has provided housing assistance to low-income renters. Over time, perspectives on best practices in funding and provision of affordable housing have shifted, resulting in a series of programs that have changed and evolved over the past 90 years. Historically, most of these housing subsidies were provided under programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or predecessor agencies. Assistance provided under HUD programs falls into three categories: public housing, tenant-based rental assistance, and project-based rental assistance.

All occupied units which are not owner occupied, whether they are rented for cash rent or occupied without payment of cash rent, are classified as renter-occupied.

Within the American Community Survey and Decennial Census, homes set aside for occasional use, less than 9 months out of the year, are considered vacant. 

In the American Housing Survey, seasonal units are intended by the owner to be occupied during only certain seasons of the year. They are not anyone's usual residence. A seasonal unit may be used in more than one season; for example, for both summer and winter sports. Published counts of seasonal units also include housing units held for occupancy by migratory farm workers. While not currently intended for year-round use, most seasonal units could be used year-round.
 

The Section 202 Housing Program for the Elderly is specifically for the elderly and provides affordable housing for people who are over the age of 62. HUD provides long-term direct loans to private, non-profit sponsors who build, buy, or rehabilitate a housing project and then accept elderly housing tenants. Tenants of these buildings pay approximately 30 percent of their adjusted income for rent. 

Sometimes if the person over 62 also happens to have a disability, then they can also qualify for housing designed for people with disabilities, which will include many accessible units. HUD also provides general housing information for senior citizens that covers a variety of programs and resources.

The Rural Rental Housing Program, also called the Section 515 program, provides low-interest loans to finance affordable multifamily housing or congregate housing for families and people who are elderly or disabled who are low-income. Section 515 loans can be used to purchase, construct, or rehabilitate housing. Loans are available for up to 30 years with only a one percent interest rate, which helps keep the rents affordable. 

Funds are awarded competitively by the USDA Office of Rural Development to interested housing developers including individuals; partnerships; state and local agencies; and for-profit and non-profit organizations.

The Section 811 Housing Program for People with Disabilities provides funding for non-profit organizations interested in building, buying, or rehabilitating a housing development for adults who have a disability. HUD provides long-term direct loans to the non-profit and residents of the housing pay approximately 30 percent of their adjusted income for rent. 

Other projects, not specifically targeted to people with disabilities may be designated as accessible units which indicate that the apartments are designed to be barrier free. (It should be noted that the barrier free design will vary significantly from unit to unit and may not be compliant with current codes.) For more information on specific accessible units contact the management agent of the project directly.

The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program is the primary rental assistance program administered by HUD. Under the Section 8 HCV program, a family or individual can apply to a Public Housing Authority (PHA) for rental assistance (called a "voucher") that would enable them to afford a privately-owned apartment of their choice within the PHA's jurisdiction. The vouchers are usually tenant-based and therefore if a household chooses to move after a period of time, they may do so without losing their assistance. Households pay approximately 30 percent — and no more than 40 percent — of their adjusted income for rent and utilities, and the PHA pays the balance of the rent directly to the owner.

Eligibility for the Section 8 HCV program is limited to applicants with incomes below 50% of the Area Median Income, although most of the vouchers assist households earning much less than that. Households receiving a voucher from a PHA must locate a unit that meets HUD's Housing Quality Standards, are within the PHA's jurisdiction, and has reasonable rent by local market standards.

The modern Housing Choice Voucher program, created in 1998, is a combination of two programs that were called the Section 8 certificate and the Section 8 voucher programs, created in 1974 and 1983 respectively. In addition to its conventional Section 8 vouchers for any low-income household, PHAs may have applied to HUD for additional HCV vouchers targeted to a specific population.

Project-based vouchers are a component of a public housing agencies (PHAs) housing choice voucher program. A PHA can attach a portion of its voucher assistance to specific housing units if the owner agrees to either rehabilitate or construct the units, or the owner agrees to set-aside a portion of the units in an existing development. PHAs refer families, who have already applied to a PHA for housing choice vouchers and are on the PHA's waiting list, to properties that have project-based voucher assistance when units become vacant. The PHA pays the owner the difference between 30 percent of family income and the gross rent for the unit.

 According to 18 V.S.A. § 4301 a “Short-term rental” is a furnished home house, condominium, or other dwelling room or self-contained dwelling unit rented to the transient, traveling, or vacationing public for a period of fewer than 30 consecutive days and for more than 14 days per calendar year. 

Single-family home statistics include fully detached homes, row houses, and townhouses. In the case of attached units, each must be separated from the adjacent unit by a ground-to-roof wall in order to be classified as a single-family structure. Also, these units must not share heating/air-conditioning systems or utilities, such as water supply, power supply, or sewage disposal lines. Single-family statistics do not include units built one on top of another and those built side-by-side that do not have a ground-to-roof wall and/or have common facilities (i.e., attic, basement, heating plant, plumbing, etc.).
 

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a tool that municipalities use to finance improvements for public infrastructure like streets, sidewalks and storm water management systems. The improvements serve a specified area known as a TIF District, where public infrastructure is required to encourage private property development. Financially, incremental tax revenues generated by the private property development within the District are set aside for a certain period of time to service the public infrastructure debt.  

Tenant based programs allow participants to find and lease housing in the private market, with a voucher administered by the local public housing agencies (PHAs) that subsidizes the monthly rental cost for the household.  Under tenant-based programs, assisted households may move and take their subsidy with them. Vouchers have no specific maximum rent; the low-income household must pay any excess over the payment standard, an amount that is determined locally and that is based on the local Fair Market Rent. The housing rented must meet housing quality standards and other program requirements.

Currently, tenant-based rental assistance is the most prevalent form of housing assistance provided in the United States. Tenant based assistance began with the Section 8 certificate and voucher programs, created in 1974 and 1983, respectively. These programs were replaced by the current Housing Choice Voucher program in 1998.

Habitation arrangement in a home associated with the household’s ownership of their home. Primary residence are either owner-occupied or renter-occupied.

The total costs of financing housing: the cost of purchasing the land, hard costs (construction materials and labor), and soft costs (including design fees, legal fees, permitting fees, and developer fees).

Transit oriented-development (TOD) seeks to maximize residential, business, and leisure development within walking distance of public transport. TOD promotes long-term affordability of housing by reducing transportation-related costs of households, while also saving energy and reducing emissions. Zoning bylaws can include development standards to address transportation efficiency, including requiring bicycle racks, transit shelters, and connections to existing sidewalks and bicycle pathways, where appropriate. TOD is sometimes called "smart growth".

Transitional housing provides people experiencing homelessness a place to stay combined with supportive services for up to 24 months.  

The Census Bureau's mission is to serve as the nation's leading provider of quality data about its people and economy.

The USDA is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and production, works to assure food safety, protects natural resources, fosters rural communities and works to end hunger in the United States and internationally.

The USDA is made up of 29 agencies and offices with nearly 100,000 employees who serve the American people at more than 4,500 locations across the country and abroad.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the federal agency responsible for:

• Creating and funding most affordable housing policy and programs


• Helping improve and develop local communities


• Enforcing fair housing laws

HUD was created in 1965 as a cabinet-level agency. HUD's annual budget provides funding for most of the programs described on this page.  Depending on the program, HUD directs its funding to state governments; non-profit or private housing developers; Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) or other housing agencies.  Because housing programs are administered by a variety of agencies, they have different income and eligibility rules and different application and program regulations.

The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is a federal agency that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability and survivor benefits. The Social Security Administration was established by the Social Security Act of 1935. Today, the Social Security Administration delivers monthly payments to 75 million people, including the nation’s seniors and people with disabilities.

Refers to people whose primary nighttime location is a public or private place not designated for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for people (for example a car, public park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground). 

The Census of Agriculture is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Even small plots of land - whether rural or urban - count if $1,000 or more of such products were raised and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year. The Census of Agriculture, taken only once every five years, looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures.

USDA Rural Development (RD) helps rural areas to develop and grow by offering Federal assistance that improves quality of life. RD targets communities in need and then empowers them with financial and technical resources.

USDA RD administers some affordable housing assistance programs for rural communities, including single-family programs (through direct home loans or through home repair assistance), multifamily programs (such as Section 521 for rental assistance), and programs for farmworker housing.

The number of homes for rent/sale that are not currently occupied compared to the total housing stock intended for each usage.
 

The rental vacancy rate is the proportion of the rental inventory which is vacant for rent. It is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for rent by the sum of the number of renter-occupied units, the number of vacant units for rent, the number of rented not yet occupied units, and then multiplying by 100.
 

A home currently not used for full year occupation. Units temporarily occupied by people who have a usual residence elsewhere are also classified as vacant.

Act 250 (10 V.S.A. Chapter 151) is Vermont’s land use and development law, enacted in 1970 at a time when Vermont was undergoing significant development pressure. The law provides a public, quasi-judicial process for reviewing and managing the environmental, social and fiscal consequences of major subdivisions and developments in Vermont.

The Vermont Agency of Human Services (AHS) was created by the Vermont Legislature in 1969 to serve as the umbrella organization for all human service activities within state government. Through its six departments, twelve district offices, and a network of community partners and providers, it is responsible for implementing and delivering all human service programs within the state. Each department has a distinct area of focus and responsibility and contributes to creating and sustaining an entire system of human service support.

AHS services are delivered throughout the state of Vermont by state staff and through an extensive network of community partners and private, non-profit agencies. Among this network are the designated and specialized service agencies dedicated to providing mental health and disability services to both children and adults, specialized substance use treatment facilities, parent and child centers, community action agencies, area agencies on aging, schools, and private residential facilities. 

For more information, visit the Vermont Agency of Human Services website.

The Vermont Department of Housing Community Development (DHCD) works to grow the state's economy, help businesses create jobs, and support vibrant and resilient communities. DHCD staff provides training, technical and financial assistance designed to enhance local community and economic development programs and practices.

The DHCD housing program focuses on developing housing policy and overseeing the Mobile Home Park Program. The Vermont Community Development Program helps municipalities provide housing, jobs, public services and facilities to their residents. The historic preservation program promotes and preserves Vermont's historic resources and state-owned historic sites.

DHCD is the state’s central office for local and regional land use, including smart growth designations, designed to enhance Vermont's unique landscape of compact centers surrounded by working landscapes. DHCD also funds and supports regional development efforts through the Regional Planning Commissions, Regional Development Corporations and through other partners.

The Vermont Department of Labor purpose is to support working Vermonters.

The Vermont Department of Labor is comprised of four major divisions: Workforce Development, Labor Market Information, Unemployment Insurance, and Workers’ Compensation & Workplace Safety. The Economic and Labor Market Information division(ELMI) is responsible for statewide maintenance of labor market data in accordance with federal programs and standards.

The Grand List is Vermont's statewide record of municipal property values. The Vermont Department of Taxes collects the education Grand Lists from each municipality per 32 V.S.A. §5404(b) to implement the statewide education property tax system.

Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB) funds the acquisition, rehabilitation and construction of affordable housing by nonprofit housing organizations. Affordable housing projects eligible for funding include rental housing, rental and ownership coops, mobile home parks, single family homes, shared elderly housing, single room occupancy housing, and group homes. VHCB funds help to leverage federal and private funds to develop housing to serve lower income households and individuals with special needs. VHCB offers a loan and grant program, feasibility funding, and other programs to support affordable home ownership. 

Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) was established in 1974 to finance and promote affordable, safe and decent housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income Vermonters.

Since its inception, VHFA has helped 31,000 primarily first-time home buyers and their families purchase homes. It also provides financing, development and management support, subsidy administration and tax credits for approximately 9,600 affordable apartments statewide. Each U.S. state has a housing finance agency.  

VHFA's primary activities include:

• Homeownership mortgage financing programs


• Federal and state Housing Tax Credit programs


• Multifamily loan programs


• Asset management and monitoring


• HAP contract administration

In addition, VHFA analyzes and shares housing data, best practices and research innovations and supports communities, partners and policy makers seeking to improve housing affordability and opportunity. 

Data gathered about changes in population, enumerated through births, deaths, and migration. Vermont has required towns to report all births, marriages and deaths since 1857. Vital records, particularly birth and death records are used to study and monitor the health of a population.

The classification of land by types of uses permitted and prohibited in a given district, and by densities and intensities permitted and prohibited, including regulations regarding building location on lots. Zoning is typically administered at the local level, with minimum standards enforced by a region or state.