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.

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

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.

• Meeting URL: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/icfconsulting/join?id=HOME+Rule&role=attend
• Meeting ID: HOME Rule
• Role: Attendee

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.

• Audio Login: +1 (888) 481-2845 (toll-free) or +1 (719) 325-2249 (toll)
• Passcode: 8925149
• Conference Title: HOME Proposed Rule

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.

• 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

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