Participants Discussed the Barriers to Building Housing Quickly and More Affordably in Vermont 

VERGENNES, VT – Today, Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) brought together housing developers, construction industry experts, and local and State leaders in Vergennes to discuss barriers to building housing quickly and more affordably in Vermont. They also discussed ways the State and federal governments can ease the housing shortage crisis, and what has been done to speed housing development for working families.  

“With half of Vermonters spending more than a third of their income on housing, it’s clear why housing costs are an issue that is top of mind for folks in Vergennes and across the State. This is a great place to start a family, grow a business, and be part of an extraordinary community—but too many people, from young families to seniors, have been priced out of making that dream a reality,” said Sen. Welch. “This rural housing crisis cuts our state deep—it hurts our local economy, makes it harder to attract and retain workers, and it’s threatening the success of our hospitals. Vermont is modeling the changes necessary to solve this crisis, and we need to keep working together to break through the barriers to build faster and more affordably.” 

Attendees discussed the programs and positive steps Vermont has taken to make it easier to build housing, and how to improve current programs or institute new programs to build more manufactured and modular housing. They also discussed ways to cut through red tape in the permitting process and lower the price of building and development.  

Senator Welch was joined by Nate Formalarie, Deputy Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development; State Representative Matt Birong — Addison 3; Elise Shanbacker, Executive Director of Addison Housing Works; Maura Collins, Executive Director of Vermont Housing Finance Committee; Li Ling Young of Efficiency Vermont; Zeke Davisson from Summit Properties; and Aaron Stewart from Stewart Construction. The event was hosted at the Armory Lane Senior Housing, affordable apartments and community spaces for seniors owned and operated by Addison Housing Works.       

A recent report from Vermont’s Department of Housing and Community Development found the State is “likely to need an additional 24,000 to 36,000 additional homes by 2029.” The same report found that between 2019 and 2023, single family homes increased in price by 38% and  mobile homes with land increased in price by 37%. 

See photos from the event below:

Recently, Senator Welch joined Senators Heinrich and Wyden in introducing the New Homes Tax Credit Act, which would provide tax credits to incentivize new investments and additional resources for home construction and renovations for working families. He also recently helped introduce the bicameral Homes Act, legislation that would help build and preserve as many as 1.3 million homes in small towns, big cities, and rural communities. This summer, he introduced a bill to help more working families in rural communities purchase a home through the USDA’s home loan program. 

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