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Public Hearing Announcement

Posted February 1, 2012

Joint Public Hearing on Fiscal Year 2013 state budget on Vermont Interactive Television

House and Senate Committees on Appropriations

Monday, February 13, 2012, 4:00 – 6:30 p.m. – The House and Senate Committees on Appropriations will hold a joint public hearing on Vermont Interactive Television (V.I.T.) to give Vermonters throughout the state an opportunity to express their views about the state budget for fiscal year 2013. All 14 V.I.T. sites will be available for the hearing: Bennington, Brattleboro, Castleton, Johnson, Lyndonville, Middlebury, Montpelier, Newport, Randolph Center, Rutland, Springfield, St. Albans, White River Junction and Williston. V.I.T.’s web site has an up-to-date location listing, including driving directions, addresses and telephone numbers, http://www.vitlink.org/.

For the first time, the budget hearing will be VIEWABLE via the Internet if your computer has flash-based streaming capabilities.

Go to www.vtlink.org/streamingmedia/vtcvitopen.php

Some mobile devices may require additional software.

The Governor’s budget proposal can be viewed at the Department of Finance’s website: http://finance.vermont.gov/state_budget/rec. For information about the format of this event or to submit written testimony, call the House Appropriations Committee office at 802/828-5767 or emailtutton@leg.state.vt.us. Requests for interpreters should be made to the office by 12:00 noon on Monday, January 30, 2012.

 

 


Task force identifies post-Irene legal issues

Posted January 19, 2012

VTDIGGER.ORG

Tropical Storm Irene upended houses, personal property and lives in Vermont. The natural disaster, which destroyed more than 700 homes and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to state and local roads, also led to unprecedented legal questions.

Vermonters, in some cases, not only lost their belongings and homes, but also their land. Should towns redraw property boundaries in situations where a former dooryard has been reduced to river bed?

Other residents faced the sure knowledge that they would never repay hundreds of thousands of dollars on mortgages for properties that no longer exist. In rare instances, victims of the raging floodwaters faced both stark realities. What, if anything, can banks and municipalities do if residents walk away from their mortgage obligations?

Meanwhile, mobile home owners are unable to take on more debt because their housing devalues quickly over time and they don’t have asset capacity.

Though the state’s community banks have been quick to respond, certain out-of-state banks, namely Bank of America, have not been as generous with property owners’ who face foreclosure, according to Senate President Pro Tempore John Campbell …

Link to Full Article & Link to Video Content

Link to PDF of Article

 

 


Upcoming: HOME Proposed Rule Webinar

Posted

Upcoming: HOME Proposed Rule Webinar

January 24, 2012 from 1:30 to 3:30 EST

For More Information Please Visit: http://hometa.info

HUD published a significant proposed regulation for the HOME Program in the Federal Register on December 16, 2011.  The proposed changes are intended to enhance performance and accountability, and clarify certain existing provisions.  Public comments on the proposed changes are due by February 14, 2012.

Full Information on Webinar

Section-by-section summary of the proposed changes

HUD encourages HOME Participating Jurisdictions, other program partners and stakeholders to comment on the proposed rule and raise questions for clarification through the comment process. HUD will host a webinar on the HOME Proposed Rule January 24, 2012 from 1:30 to 3:30 EST. CheckHOME’s TA site for the latest information on the webinar.

Here is the HUD webinar access information:

Install Live Meeting: You will need to install Live Meeting on the computer you will be using during the presentation. To install the software and check to ensure your system is compatible with Microsoft Office Live Meeting, go to http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=90703

Logging onto Live Meeting: At least 20 minutes prior to the webinar start time, log onto the Live Meeting website by copying and pasting the meeting URL into your browser.

Call in for audio: After logging onto Live Meeting, dial into the conference call number below so that you can hear the presentation. You may dial in up to 15 minutes before the session begins.

Troubleshooting & Additional Instructions: If you have any trouble logging in and to review additional guidance on participation (including how to ask questions), please click here.

 

 

 


New Mobile Home Facts from DHCA

Posted January 18, 2012

2011 Mobile Home Park Information:

  • Number of parks is 248
  • Number of total lots is 7,194
  • Number of vacant lots statewide is 310 or 4.3%
  • State median lot rent is $302

More Information on Mobile Home Parks

 


TIME CHANGES for Consolidated Plan Public Hearing and Vermont’s Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice Meeting and Public Hearings

Posted January 17, 2012

Consolidated Plan Public Hearing – Monday, February 13, 2012 (2:30 PM – 3:15 PM) ; Pavilion Auditorium, Pavilion Building, 109 State Street, Montpelier

It’s that time of year again when we need to update the annual Action Plan and submit it to HUD for our federal CDBG, HOME and ESG funding.  This is the third year of the 5-year 2010-2015 Consolidated Plan.  As always, your input is necessary and valuable and we want to thank you up front for your assistance.

In addition, we will be discussing the preliminary plan for Disaster Funding to gather input on need, and the draft Substantial Amendment to the Con Plan for the supplemental funding for the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) will be presented for discussion.

Vermont’s Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) Meeting and Public Hearings – Monday, February 13, 2012 (3:30 PM -5:30 PM and 6:30-7:30PM) ; Pavilion Auditorium, Pavilion Building, 109 State Street, Montpelier

At 3:30 PM the consultant, Mullin & Lonergan, will be presenting the draft of Vermont’s Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) to the Stakeholders and public to provide an opportunity to ask questions and clarification on the stated Impediments and Action Plans for mitigation.

In the evening there will be an additional Public Hearing on the AI from 6:30-7:30pm for those that cannot attend the earlier session.  The AI is an integral component of our federal funding and must be updated every five years.

Cindy Blondin, Grants Specialist

Vermont Community Development Program

Department of Economic, Housing and Community Development

Phone: 802-828-5219 Fax: 802-828-3258

Visit our website at www.dhca.state.vt.us/vcdp

 

 


Community Needs Meeting in Barre

Posted October 31, 2011

This Fall, the Put People First Campaign – a project of the Vermont Workers’ Center – is holding a series of community meetings throughout the state. We’re bringing together members of our communities to hear from each other what challenges we are facing and how we can come together to solve them.

-Share the struggles you and your community are facing
-Join with other people in your community to find solutions that put people first
-Watch the trailer for our new film on Irene and the struggle to build back better
-Participate in a “Take Action” Fair

Where: Old Labor Hall, Barre

When: Nov 1st, 6pm

PDF: Community Meetings

URL: Community Needs Meeting

 


Manage government to need, not just money

Posted

By Jack Hoffman, VTDigger.org, October 27, 2011

One of the good things to come out of Tropical Storm Irene was seeing the state respond to human needs. Individuals, businesses, government, and other institutions all had a similar reaction to the crisis: they jumped in with both feet and did what they could to help their fellow Vermonters.

The moment, unfortunately, was fleeting. A month after Irene struck, the Shumlin administration was back into manage-to-the-money mode, building a state budget based on how much money is likely to be available, not on what will be needed to meet Vermonters needs for the coming year. Because it now looks like Vermont will have $75 million-$80 million less next year than even a conservative estimate of need, Administration Secretary Jeb Spaulding has asked all agencies and departments to prepare baseline budgets 4 percent below this year’s appropriation.

Article Taken From http://publicassets.org

PDF: Manage government to need, not just money

URL: Manage government to need, not just money

 


Comment period for Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan extended to Nov 4

Posted October 19, 2011

The Department of Public Service extended the written comment period for the Vermont Comprehensive Energy Plan on Friday, just a few days before the deadline on Oct. 10.

On the heels of a request from Vermont Energy Partnership and queries from regional planning commissions and the Vermont Public Power Supply Authority, the department extended the comment period by nearly a month. Public comments will now be accepted through Nov. 4.

For a PDF of this article click here

Source: Comment Period for Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan Extended

 


Comment period for Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan extended

Posted October 17, 2011

The Department of Public Service extended the written comment period for the Vermont Comprehensive Energy Plan on Friday, just a few days before the deadline on Oct. 10.

On the heels of a request from Vermont Energy Partnership and queries from regional planning commissions and the Vermont Public Power Supply Authority, the department extended the comment period by nearly a month. Public comments will now be accepted through Nov. 4.

For a PDF of this article click here

Source: Comment Period for Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan Extended

 


Census estimates confirm decline in household income and increased poverty

Posted September 26, 2011

Census Estimates Confirm Decline in Household Income and Increased Poverty

September 23, 2011

The recession’s longstanding toll on the incomes of Vermont households is shown clearly in estimates released by the Census Bureau yesterday.   The median income of a household in the state dropped to $49,406 in 2010 from $51,618 in 2009.   The poverty rate among Vermont households rose to 12.7% up from 11.4% in 2009.    Poverty among the state’s children rose particularly high–to an alarming 16.7% in 2010 up from 13.3% in 2009.

Across the nation, poverty rose in 49 of the 50 states.    In total, 46.2 million Americans lived in poverty in 2010– the highest number in the 52 years the Census Bureau has been publishing figures on it.  Median household incomes across the country fell to levels last seen in 1996.

The Census Bureau has recently released the results of two national surveys pertaining to household income and poverty–the American Community Survey and the Current Population Survey

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New Estimates About Characteristics of Vermont Households Released

September 22, 2011

The Census Bureau released new estimates today that provide information about the characteristics of residents and homes in Vermont and its counties in 2010.    These estimates are based on the annual American Community Survey (ACS), which asks a sample of Vermonters questions about their home and the household members living there.

While the decenniel Census provided counts of people and households, ACS estimates provide valuable information about the characteristics of Vermont residents.

Here’s a sample of the types of information collected through the ACS:

  • § Total monthly housing costs
  • § Household income
  • § Type of home heating fuel
  • § Age of the household members

VHFA’s researchers are available to speak to members of the media about ACS data pertaining to Vermont’s housing market and the housing situations of low- and moderate-income people.  Inquiries may be directed to Research and Communications Coordinator, Leslie Black-Plumeau

We’re currently reviewing the data and will share highlights as we complete our analyses.

Access the ACS 2010 estimates.

Due to the small size of the ACS sample in some Vermont communities, data users are advised to carefully consider the error ranges provided by the Census Bureau with each estimate.

 

 


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