General and Housing Committee

The House Committee on General and Housing considers matters relating to housing, labor, equity and inclusion, and all matters relating to subjects for which there is no other appropriate committee.

The General and Housing Committee requested that the State Treasurer’s 10% in Vermont fund invest additional dollars to build more housing, and that the Budget Adjustment Act dedicate additional funds to thwart the downward spiral in Housing and Urban Development housing vouchers. The committee is also at work on two bills addressing manufactured housing, housing affordability, and landlord-tenant relationships.

H.757 (An act relating to manufactured homes and limited equity cooperatives) proposes to address inconsistencies and misconceptions regarding manufactured homes (formerly known as “mobile homes”) and resident-owned manufactured home cooperatives. The bill recognizes these homes as permanent structures affixed to the land, rather than movable personal property, allowing financial institutions to treat these homes as real property, thus reducing perceived lending risk and improving access to financing. The bill further ensures fair siting standards by allowing manufactured homes to be placed anywhere a residential home is permitted, reinforcing their status as legitimate forms of housing within residential zones. The bill improves affordability and financing by eliminating the sales tax at the time of purchase and establishes a consistent process for issuing a Quitclaim Deed, enabling the home to be treated as real estate. These changes make manufactured homes more attractive to lenders, lower borrowing costs for buyers, and allow for more reasonable interest rates and loan terms.