[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6317254,"mediaKeyId","2374816-7a4f4a2777164f8b2d60890c4ef76cd2","parentId",2374816,"title","Agency seeks statutory access to landlord and grand‑list data for housing dashboard and needs assessment","audioSeconds",332,"startMs",1703000,"endMs",2035000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2374816-7a4f4a2777164f8b2d60890c4ef76cd2&start=1703&end=2035","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2374816-7a4f4a2777164f8b2d60890c4ef76cd2/thumbnail_1703000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6317254/Vermont/Agency-seeks-statutory-access-to-landlord-and-grandlist-data-for-housing-dashboard-and-needs-assessment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317254-0f72ffba78e09147c5861e30e5b6e10c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770843039&Signature=PT5JTwJzqOS8EbD61Eaj7VA1YZOHzg4aVSberoRuwiNmDc-2nY5VJLjPVaDuJS3q84VVNRYEciXQD5nnuHrbXx83yqp1Rx6GJyz3fEp4H9~Cul9G-Baic7JlLtmEX9UWLl6nAgriDF0b8Nzc5pA1YpEx6YZZFjxAkRPLjljE7Jc7wxltgNzi-JC-n7HtvAoK-dpFyp4pdZomjaDA80pZvgkQ6fo3tF5L~VADG-Km-lXfm7mToU2-QR4ukiYxTVks~kBsRDOoAn2jW3AGbduNi61mlkWQndvM9vR~wN2fDnw8eiNOMTU62XLdKcxJ4S~tmxbFZpqA8g151g708Ecq7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-22T07:40:40.153Z","article","Department staff told the House Committee on General and Housing that they are building a public dashboard to provide near‑real‑time visibility into units coming online and want access to a set of administrative data sources to verify units.

Alex Farrell said the dashboard combines satellite imagery, 911 data and other administrative sources and that the department would like grama list (grand‑list/landlord certificate) data integrated into the dashboard. “This would put in statute essentially forcing the software company to let us use that grama list data for this purpose,” Farrell said. The department described the landlord certificate as the tax‑department form that landlords file and said VHFA has used such data for housing‑needs assessments.

A VHFA representative told the committee that VHFA currently has agreements to access tax‑department data for housing‑needs assessments and for updating housingdata.org, and that the landlord certificate changes passed last year have an effective date of July 1 for the new data sections. Committee members asked tax‑department witnesses and VHFA to testify about data availability and privacy hurdles in later hearings.

The department said it is already working with multiple state agencies and that clarifying statutory access would smooth routine data transfers for the dashboard and research. Committee members requested follow‑up testimony from tax, VHFA and the department to clarify what fields are available, what is missing and what statutory changes—if any—are needed.

Ending: The department and VHFA agreed to coordinate testimony with the tax department and to provide more granular details in upcoming hearings about which data elements will be available for the housing dashboard and housing‑needs assessments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House General - 2025-02-21 - 11AM","oneSentenceSummary","Department staff told the committee they want statutory authority to access tax‑department landlord certificate (grand‑list) data and other administrative data sources to populate a real‑time housing dashboard and to support housing‑needs assessments conducted by VHFA and others.","taxTitle","General & Housing, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",30954,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6317259,"Homes for All initiative seeks staff and pre‑permitted designs to spur small‑scale infill housing",941,2381000,3322000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2374816-7a4f4a2777164f8b2d60890c4ef76cd2&start=2381&end=3322","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2374816-7a4f4a2777164f8b2d60890c4ef76cd2/thumbnail_2381000.jpg","/articles/6317259/Vermont/Homes-for-All-initiative-seeks-staff-and-prepermitted-designs-to-spur-smallscale-infill-housing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317259-ba7bef71fc925bfa4566bc2086d022a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770843039&Signature=CedTkXkyiOhzbgaGvnH4GyuXu7LWUx9JSUpDll1nxszwdiHkSWtk4mI~uZvHDLzYXPjx3J7F80ZdJQF6OpxRZVzU-gNas1RUgSuithh~vGcpxuCE-wM-l653ru~M1ivQEOESxpcYYOn5zYaI-D3GZKv0KrPcWjGItlYtqCqmrb4Cc1w8zjGQHKew9iOUgZE9w-t38-vQGykGxpXs4xL~rCBA6ivP08OPOSIY4NBNG31gInUsvsdmNoUY94oiIWj0JFFQNeHdMUvHOShBQCowSS1wpO4dtjqiWTrabd~P3iuFcLVgZJvicvn073aAi2AYzmAvj3HOwUYDmfbN4viJ3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chris Cochran, director of Community Planning and Revitalization at the Department of Housing and Community Development, told the House Committee on General and Housing that Homes for All aims to expand small‑scale infill housing by creating construction‑ready, pre‑permitted designs and a technical‑assistance cohort to help local builders and would‑be developers.

Cochran said his division has run pilot engagement with five communities to identify building types that would be accepted locally and that the program’s focus is smaller multi‑unit buildings — generally four units or fewer — that avoid higher costs associated with elevators, sprinklers or multiple means of egress. He said the goal is to produce turnkey design kits that communities agree can move through administrative approval when proposed.

Cochran told the committee the initiative is staffed by limited‑service positions that have high turnover because they lack longer‑term funding. The department requested funding in the governor’s budget and in the housing bill to extend two positions; Cochran said the ask totals $300,000 to extend two limited‑service positions and to stabilize delivery of the program. “We need to be able to pick up where we left off, but without the staff, we couldn't have the program going,” he said.

The program envisions a training cohort for local builders and a catalog of pre‑approved drawings. Cochran said pilot communities agreed to administrative approval for the designs if their communities volunteered, and that partners include the Division of Fire Safety and VHFA. He said some VHIP subsidies could be used to make smaller projects pencil out; the department is seeking partners to provide design, permitting and early‑stage coordination services.

Cochran also endorsed expanding the downtown and village tax credit program from $3 million to $5 million in the governor’s proposal, saying current demand exceeds available funding. He said the department expects continued outreach over the summer and a fall rollout if funding is available.

Ending: The department asked for the committee’s support for the budget request to extend the two limited‑service positions and said it will return to the committee with further details on community selection and a proposed timeline for the first design kits and cohort.","Department officials described the Homes for All initiative and asked the committee to support extending limited‑service positions to deliver pre‑permitted 'vernacular' small‑multi designs, technical assistance cohorts, and other supports for rural and small‑town housing development.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6317263,"State officials describe Infrastructure Sustainability Fund as revolving municipal loan vehicle; committee asks about leverage",216,42000,258000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2374816-7a4f4a2777164f8b2d60890c4ef76cd2&start=42&end=258","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2374816-7a4f4a2777164f8b2d60890c4ef76cd2/thumbnail_42000.jpg","/articles/6317263/Vermont/State-officials-describe-Infrastructure-Sustainability-Fund-as-revolving-municipal-loan-vehicle-committee-asks-about-leverage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317263-368e032456293c2af44e2cc04cae23cd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770843039&Signature=LPCBruKKBCxaYJz1K~GHyZ~cGh8us9QL1saAhD-HYsEPG5GZPrX0chQooYwI6hlWA2j7SWOBK5ghBBtYhOKg6M0183pU4sAn8eykcbytp8FLeJ4Uv-iPOAphmbYewanD-CJz6B-hoUXVE8OqnJU7RwASVvTxZwhGaf5rvSC2fC39n2GXlUBlt21ILyirMWsb-0cuBxo4PkGzWQhAgNUVruq1MZdwpbVIDMFN-2VXyd9jm9ULZ1gc2EM68hgm9JObywEuwuxXPhbD53m9rpB8QIiprT~xYr2JTqfsAJwAsDgSiko0RAX9BszTXLR2Wn~3YihL5bRGkMy7rDOabWgbiw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Alex Farrell, commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development, presented a high‑level overview of the Infrastructure Sustainability Fund (ISF) during testimony to the House Committee on General and Housing on Feb. 21. He described the ISF as a municipal vehicle for low‑interest, revolving loans intended to support a range of infrastructure activities, with prioritization for smaller communities.

Farrell told the committee that eligible activities under the ISF would be broad and include transportation (sidewalks and roads), water and wastewater, and site infrastructure that supports housing. He said municipalities would be the eligible entities and that the fund is structured as revolving loans, “so they would be at a low interest rate.” He also said the department is contemplating delayed repayment and potential forgiveness and that the bond bank could have discretion to buy down rates or provide credit enhancements.

The committee referenced testimony from the League of Cities and Towns, which urged expanding eligible uses to cover project and grants management work. Farrell agreed project management capacity is often a practical barrier to small projects and said the administration was considering that suggestion.

Committee members also discussed leveraging the $9.1 billion principal rather than lending it all directly. One witness’ testimony cited green‑bank models with high leverage ratios; the transcript referenced Connecticut’s experience and cited leveraging rates “of, like, 10 to 1.” Department witnesses said the administration expects to stretch the ISF dollars by pairing them with other finance tools rather than relying solely on direct lending.

Ending: The department left detailed program design and loan‑forgiveness options to later drafting and indicated the bond bank would play a key role in implementing rate buy‑downs and credit enhancements. The League’s project‑management expansion suggestion will be considered in further drafting.","DHCD outlined the proposed $9,100,000,000 Infrastructure Sustainability Fund and said the administration intends to prioritize small communities and use the fund to leverage additional private and public financing rather than lend the entire principal directly.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6317268,"Vermont housing program officials warn of compliance 'cliff' as early units reach covenant end dates",2046,292000,2338000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2374816-7a4f4a2777164f8b2d60890c4ef76cd2&start=292&end=2338","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2374816-7a4f4a2777164f8b2d60890c4ef76cd2/thumbnail_292000.jpg","/articles/6317268/Vermont/Vermont-housing-program-officials-warn-of-compliance-cliff-as-early-units-reach-covenant-end-dates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317268-9f05fe572ad8c214c32e24e8dc2b9de3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770843039&Signature=UPgSYxdYBG~4Ge6zStBSjvUrjDXqypOZWMyFkP16md77DHxWlaKDy4P5G7N-B~cksPw~X-AbHZmSMd9Ml-8DObikHrLF2wLK5~M2eWzk8FgxHK4MJi6ThGH3VF~Lsl6JQHYNpOHl60WSxrUgcGI-UPanf3qPPIJ8t7gaFNCF9mCy8VTpGPIojpXHYdR0PvZK2Xprd39euVCy70Lt1NyTpzbVLKuO5i5kWTWKWhx4BE2WK-5Xyh6qrZI1xtBoc1eyQNNAuN3ngZn~~w6DqqMVfPYfSBf2193HfSQS4IPLv2Icq3i-M-GJpVEUZCd1cBjeWqBktMPOqKlG1rTIZzU1-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Alex Farrell, commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development, told the House Committee on General and Housing on Feb. 21 that units financed under the state's housing initiative will begin to reach the end of short-term affordability covenants starting this year and ramp up in 2027–2029.

Farrell said 525 units were funded under the program’s first round. “525 is the exact number for b hip 1,” he said. He told the committee that 66 units completed in 2020 using federal Coronavirus Relief Funds lacked a homelessness re‑housing requirement and thus their five‑year compliance windows end in 2025; other, later units carry the homelessness requirement and will come off compliance later.

The department provided a chart showing when units were completed and when their compliance periods end. Farrell said the earlier five‑year window was intended as a temporary runway so state and federal affordable‑housing portfolios could expand and absorb people leaving homelessness. He described a recertification process the department will run this summer: landlords will be required to report turnover, tenant stability and plans for units when covenants expire so staff can assess whether the program created durable housing matches with coordinated‑entry agencies.

Committee members pressed the department about several operational details in draft legislation. One question asked whether the 10‑year option in the administration’s draft carried a homelessness requirement identical to the five‑year option, which could remove any incentive to choose the longer covenant; Farrell said the language in the draft appeared unintended and explained two ways to preserve incentives: relax the longer‑term requirement or increase the financial incentive for a 10‑year covenant. He said, “They would always just choose the 5 year” if requirements were identical.

Members also asked whether private scattered‑site units could be preserved by the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board or other entities when covenants expire. Farrell said the units are mostly private landlords and geographically dispersed, which makes nonprofit acquisition difficult. He said VHCB’s typical mechanism is perpetual affordability tied to its own investments, and many landlords participating in the earlier program would not have participated if perpetual affordability had been required.

The committee sought clarification about program caps and accessibility funds. Committee members asked whether accessibility upgrades require first unlocking a rehabilitation grant. Farrell said he believed accessibility could be funded without also triggering rehabilitation, but deferred formal confirmation to his staff: “I will let you know right away. I am not under the impression that you need to also rehabilitate.”

Members raised fair‑housing concerns about family members moving into assisted units and whether accepting public dollars imposes obligations on which tenants may be selected. Farrell cautioned that public funding carries fair‑housing requirements and that using grants to house family members could raise legal questions. He said the administration would provide written clarifications and that the department’s general counsel and policy team would weigh in on narrower definitions used in draft statutory language.

The department said it will return written answers to the committee and circulate them through staff. Farrell recommended committee members email questions so general counsel could provide precise drafting fixes. The department also offered to bring Sean Gilpin, the housing‑division director, back to provide further technical detail if the committee desired.

Ending: The committee recorded several operational questions for written follow‑up, including whether the administration intended to change homelessness requirements for the 10‑year option, whether accessibility funds require rehabilitation, how many households will be affected when covenants expire, and what agency processes will be used to preserve affordability. The department said it will provide written answers and additional witnesses as needed.","Department of Housing and Community Development officials told the House Committee on General and Housing on Feb. 21 that units built under early rounds of the state's housing program will begin coming off five‑year covenants in 2025, and outlined steps the department will take to track and respond to that transition.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Agency seeks statutory access to landlord and grand‑list data for housing dashboard and needs assessment

Homes for All initiative seeks staff and pre‑permitted designs to spur small‑scale infill housing

State officials describe Infrastructure Sustainability Fund as revolving municipal loan vehicle; committee asks about leverage

Vermont housing program officials warn of compliance 'cliff' as early units reach covenant end dates