Blog

Here you'll find the latest information about what's happening at our member organizations, opportunities in the community, and the latest news from the Legislature. Also VAHC Staff share their thoughts about the housing crisis in Vermont.

David Martins

Jan 6, 2021
1 min

ACTION ALERT: Urge the Biden Administration to Extend the Federal Eviction Moratorium

From the National Low Income Housing Coalition: Thanks to the incredible advocacy of NLIHC members, allies, partners, and congressional champions, the COVID-19 relief bill signed into law on December 27 extends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eviction moratorium through January 31 and provides $25 billion in emergency rental assistance. Now, we must work to ensure that these critical rental assistance funds are targeted to those most at risk of eviction a

0 views0 comments

Congress passes new stimulus package with housing assistance

David Martins

Dec 23, 2020
3 min

Congress passes new stimulus package with housing assistance

On Monday, December 21, Congress passed a Covid-19 emergency relief bill that includes $25 billion in rental assistance and extends the CDC eviction moratorium! This assistance will help provide desperately needed financial help to renters in Vermont and across the nation. Here’s the short version of what we know right now on rental assistance: Each state will receive a minimum of $200 million. Vermont will likely receive this small state minimum. Click here to see estimated

0 views0 comments

David Martins

Dec 2, 2020
1 min

Sign on to Demand the CDC Keep Families Housed During the Pandemic!

From the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC): Join NLIHC and advocates from across the nation by signing your organization onto a national letter urging the CDC to take immediate action to extend, improve, and enforce the federal eviction moratorium to keep renters stably housed during the pandemic. Nearly one in five renters – disproportionately Black and Latino renters – are behind on their rents. Experts estimate that these households will owe between $34 billion

0 views0 comments

David Martins

Aug 3, 2020
1 min

CBPP – New Videos: Boosting SNAP Will Make Big Difference

Please see the following announcement from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: We have released three new videos showing the importance of boosting SNAP (food stamps) benefits in the next Congressional economic COVID-19 relief package. SNAP is one of the nation’s most effective programs to respond to hardship and stimulate the economy during a downturn. These three new brief videos explain that since increased need will continue for some time, boosting SNAP will help

0 views0 comments

David Martins

Jul 24, 2020
2 min

ACTION ALERT: Help Stop HUD’s Proposed Rule to Allow Discrimination Against Transgender People Exper

Please see the following action alert from the NLIHC: Help Stop HUD’s Proposed Rule to Allow Discrimination Against Transgender People Experiencing Homelessness HUD published today a proposed rule change that would remove protections against discrimination of transgender and gender non-conforming people experiencing homelessness, severely limiting their ability to access emergency shelters and services. The proposed rule is the latest in a series of attacks by the Trump admin

3 views0 comments

David Martins

Jul 16, 2020
1 min

ACTION ALERT: Ask HUD to create a federal moratorium on evictions to cover the gap between CARES and

From our partners at the National Low Income Housing Coalition: The National Housing Law Project drafted a letter that NLIHC contributed to, calling on HUD Secretary Ben Carson to create a federal moratorium to cover the gap between the impending expiration of CARES Act renter eviction protections (July 24) and passage of a new eviction moratorium in the HEROES Act . The letter outlines the broad authority the HUD Secretary has to extend a federal eviction moratorium, as wel

1 view0 comments

Affordable Housing Still Out of Reach for Low-Wage Workers

David Martins

Jul 14, 2020
3 min

Affordable Housing Still Out of Reach for Low-Wage Workers

Vermont Housing Wage is $23.36, According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition A new report co-released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition found that Vermont’s “housing wage” – the hourly wage people must earn to afford a two-bedroom home at fair market rent (FMR) – is $23.36. The report, Out Of Reach, provides rich context and data that show a mismatch between the cost of living and wages not only in Verm

0 views0 comments

NLIHC: House Releases Spending Bill for Affordable Housing and Community Development

David Martins

Jul 9, 2020
2 min

NLIHC: House Releases Spending Bill for Affordable Housing and Community Development

From our allies at the National Low Income Housing Coalition: House Releases Spending Bill for Affordable Housing and Community Development The House Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees funding levels for HUD affordable housing and community development programs voted today to approve a fiscal year (FY) 2021 spending bill that provides a significant increase in funding to housing programs that serve low-income people and communities. For more details on the House FY21 s

1 view0 comments

ACTION ALERT: Sign on to letters supporting HOME & funding for housing

David Martins

Jun 16, 2020
2 min

ACTION ALERT: Sign on to letters supporting HOME & funding for housing

Enterprise HOME letter: Last Chance to Sign On to HOME Letter Enterprise is circulating an organizational sign-on letter [salsa3.salsalabs.com]detailing the importance of including funding for the HOME Investment Partnership Program in the next Covid-19 relief package considered by Congress. To date, Covid-19 legislation has not included funding for this flexible affordable housing tool. This letter details how the program can be used for a wide range of activities, and hig

0 views0 comments

PRESS RELEASE – National Low Income Housing Coalition Awards $100,000 to Vermont Homeless She

David Martins

Apr 30, 2020
3 min

PRESS RELEASE – National Low Income Housing Coalition Awards $100,000 to Vermont Homeless She

BURLINGTON, VT – In response to an application submitted by the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition (VAHC), the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) has awarded a total of $100,000 to 20 homeless shelters, homeless service providers and community action agencies across the state. Each organization will receive a $4,900 grant to help pay for the extraordinary costs associated with their emergency COVID-19 response. The NLIHC grant was made possible by donations from

0 views0 comments

David Martins

Apr 13, 2020
1 min

ACTION ALERT: Comment on Proposed Poverty Definition Changes

As you may know, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is seeking comments on 14 questions posed by the Interagency Technical Working Group on Evaluating Alternative Measures of Poverty. These questions cover issues like how to measure material hardship, availability of data, whether health insurance should be included in a poverty measurement, whether the value of education should be taken into account, what income sources should be included and what expenses should be s

0 views0 comments

COVID-19 Housing & Homelessness Update 4/8/20

David Martins

Apr 10, 2020
9 min

COVID-19 Housing & Homelessness Update 4/8/20

As the global pandemic continues and the situation evolves, the VAHC is following COVID-19 news with a special emphasis on housing, homelessness, and our low-income and vulnerable Vermonters. Please read the following important news updates. Breaking News: Governor Scott opens the state to more funds that could help with the COVID-19 response by Submitting Request for Federal Disaster Declaration. More info. General COVID-19 Resources For the most recent information about the

0 views0 comments

COVID-19 Housing & Homelessness Update 3/27/20

David Martins

Mar 27, 2020
5 min

COVID-19 Housing & Homelessness Update 3/27/20

As the global pandemic continues and the situation changes rapidly, the VAHC is following COVID-19 news with a special emphasis on housing, homelessness, and our low-income and vulnerable Vermonters. Please read the following important news updates. BREAKING NEWS: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security Act (H.R. 748, “CARES Act”) passes both chambers of Congress – including $12b for housing and $2b for VT. Resource materials: NLIHC Analysis of Housing, Homelessness &

0 views0 comments

David Martins

Mar 26, 2020
3 min

Summary of the federal COVID-19 relief bill from Senator Leahy

LEAHY: Coronavirus Emergency Relief Bill Will Bring Nearly $2 Billion to Vermont Leahy was the lead Democratic negotiator on a key emergency spending title of the bill WASHINGTON (Thursday, March 26) – Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy announced Wednesday that Vermont is poised to receive nearly $2 billion in federal resources in the emergency spending package poised to pass Congress this week. The Senate passed it at Midnight. Leahy, as the Vice Chairman of the Senate Approp

0 views0 comments

FY2020 Funding for Federal Housing Programs – Guest Post From The Offices of Fed. Legislators

David Martins

Jan 17, 2020
3 min

FY2020 Funding for Federal Housing Programs – Guest Post From The Offices of Fed. Legislators

From our friends in the offices of federal legislators: Pollaidh Major, Office of Senator Leahy Sheila Reed, Office of Senator Sanders Thifeen Deen, Office of Congressman Welch Dear Housing Advocates, On Dec. 20, 2019, the two minibus bills providing funding for the federal government for FY20 were signed into law. Thanks to the hard work of you and your colleagues across the country, the 2020 appropriations bills preserve many of the vital housing resources targeted by t

0 views0 comments

DEADLINE TOMORROW: Comment on Trump Administration’s Attempt to Weaken Fair Housing

David Martins

Oct 17, 2019
2 min

DEADLINE TOMORROW: Comment on Trump Administration’s Attempt to Weaken Fair Housing

As you may have heard through other networks, on July 29 the Trump Administration proposed a drastic change to the regulations implementing the federal Fair Housing Act (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968), gutting the Disparate Impact Rule. Please submit a public comment opposing this change to Fair Housing Regulations by midnight Friday, October 18. Help fight this discriminatory and harmful proposal by joining VAHC in publicly opposing this change. Commenting is e

0 views0 comments

TAKE ACTION: Comment on Trump administration’s proposed changes to SNAP

David Martins

Sep 9, 2019
1 min

TAKE ACTION: Comment on Trump administration’s proposed changes to SNAP

Although not directly related to housing, this change will severely impact the populations served by our member organizations. Families will become even more cost-burdened without the food security provided by SNAP benefits. Even affordable housing can be out of reach for families without this critical assistance. In addition, this disastrous policy would sidestep Congress, which rejected such harmful proposals when it enacted the 2018 Farm Bill. For more information about th

0 views0 comments

SIGN-ON: Urge Moderators to Ask About Housing Solutions in the September Presidential Debate

David Martins

Aug 7, 2019
2 min

SIGN-ON: Urge Moderators to Ask About Housing Solutions in the September Presidential Debate

From the National Low Income Housing Coalition: During last week’s second round of Democratic debates, several presidential candidates talked about affordable housing solutions for the first time ever in a presidential debate. Eleven presidential candidates have released major plans or other proposals to address the housing crisis, with most of the plans centering on the needs of the lowest-income renters and people experiencing homelessness, and more are coming soon. The can

0 views0 comments

David Martins

Jun 26, 2019
2 min

House Passes Robust Spending Package for Affordable Housing

From the National Low Income Housing Coalition: The House approved by a vote of 227-194 on June 25 a five-bill FY20 spending package that includes robust funding for affordable housing and community development investments at HUD and USDA, as well as several positive amendments. This outcome is due in no small measure to advocacy across the country and to the leadership of strong congressional champions, including Transportation–HUD Appropriations Chair David Price (D-NC) and

0 views0 comments

TAKE ACTION: Comment on HUD’s proposed mixed-status family rule

David Martins

Jun 24, 2019
2 min

TAKE ACTION: Comment on HUD’s proposed mixed-status family rule

Mixed-status families are households that include both members who are eligible and ineligible for housing assistance based on their immigration status. Current law allows members of mixed-status families to live together in subsidized housing so long as the housing subsidy is decreased to prohibit the ineligible members from receiving assistance. Importantly, just because a household member is an “ineligible” immigrant, it doesn’t mean that they are undocumented. Immigrants

0 views0 comments

Blog

Join our mailing list