Vermont
A new coalition is addressing Vermont’s housing crisis at the state level: Who’s behind it?
A new Vermont nonprofit, Let’s Build Homes, has the ambitious goal of building 30,000 units of housing across the state by 2030.
This nonprofit, non-partisan alliance is working to “create a future of housing abundance for households of all background and income levels in Vermont while preserving the state’s unique character and cherished landscape.”
They hope to do this through breaking down barriers to construction, advocating and creating flexible policies that allow communities to grow in ways that work for them.
The organization has already garnered support from over 100 Vermont businesses and hundreds of individual residents. Let’s Build Homes has begun the process of organizing as a new, non-profit, 501(c)3. During the current start-up period, the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) is serving as the organization’s fiscal agent.
VHFA’s Executive Director Maura Collins said the coalition’s mission is to build more homes of all types for Vermonters of every background and income level.
How will building 30,000 new homes be possible?
At the Montpelier Statehouse Jan. 14, Collins was joined by steering committee members of Let’s Build Homes, including former Bulington Mayor Miro Weinberger, to introduce this new initiative.
While the organization is still in its early stages, they spoke about what people can expect to see from them in the coming months. Let’s Build Homes will tackle the housing crisis through:
- Shifting the Narrative: Promoting a shared vision of Vermont as a state that welcomes new neighbors, growth and opportunity while preserving its unique character.
- Building a Broad Coalition: Uniting individuals, organizations, municipalities and businesses to support housing growth.
- Advocating for Pro-housing State Policy: Driving reform at the state level, including support for pro-housing legislation and regulatory streamlining.
- Engaging Local Governments: Advocating for local ordinances and other local actions that enable and promote housing growth and supporting property owners and builders in navigating complex permitting processes.
- Strategic Planning: Engaging in Act 250 Tier-mapping and ensuring infrastructure investments in village centers, downtowns and growth areas.
The state of the housing shortage in Vermont
The struggle to find affordable housing has been an ongoing issue not only in Vermont, but nationally. Collins gave the perspective that it’s not an issue only lowest income earners deal with anymore, but people with degrees, in the middle of their careers are struggling when they never did decades ago. She said data shows why that is.
The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development recently released a 2025-2029 Vermont Housing Needs Assessment. The comprehensive analysis is used to identity the current and projected housing needs of a region by examining population growth, household demographics and the availability and affordability of housing.
Looking to the past, there was a spike in the 1980s of construction, where three times the number of houses or apartments were being built compared to current numbers. The census reports Vermont’s 2024 population at 647,818, up a significant amount from 511,546 residents reported in 1985. The increase in population with a slower rate of homebuilding has left many Vermont areas with few vacancies, and even fewer affordable vacancies.
The assessment projects that Vermont needs 30,000 homes by the end of 2029 to achieve strong economic performance and growth that the state needs. To reach that number, the rate of production would need to be doubled.
But it’s a challenge Let’s Build Homes says needs to be contested, and they’re ready to unite Vermont businesses and people to fix the housing crisis.
Collins spoke directly to Vermonters stating that without housing action, “Vermont risks becoming a playground for the rich and famous while moderate-income workers struggle to live here.”
Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com.