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.
Housing Crisis
The General and Housing Committee is working across multiple House committees to fight a housing crisis that exacerbates Vermont’s workforce shortage and alarming rate of homelessness. The committee is working on two fronts: (1) deregulation for building homes in urban and village centers, and (2) leveraging our state dollars into creative and time-tested financing of homes for lower and middle income Vermonters.
On the permitting front, the committee is building upon legislation from last year to streamline local zoning and state permitting processes in designated regions and for pre-approved home designs. In terms of investments, the committee is exploring innovative financing tools to overcome the challenges municipalities face in developing housing infrastructure (such as water and sewer) and rehabilitation of our rental units and housing for farm workers.
The committee also is working on leveraging credit to help first-generation home buyers afford down payments, and thereby lower mortgage payments, enabling members of our workforce to break generational poverty and fully participate in our state economy.
The legislature is committed to ensuring that Vermont’s housing strategies address the needs of all Vermonters. This includes providing affordable and accessible housing options for our workforce to ensure that they have stable housing while contributing to the state's economic growth. Additionally, we are prioritizing housing solutions for seniors, many of whom need safe, affordable homes with the necessary services and supports to age in place. Finally, to help our most vulnerable populations meet immediate needs, we are discussing funding programs that provide housing and home services for Vermonters with disabilities.
With these immediate and longer-term goals in mind, the Committee on General and Housing presented its budget recommendations to the Appropriations Committee. The committee also is drafting an omnibus housing bill based on joint hearings with its partner committee in the Senate, taking testimony from stakeholders around the state, and including language from the Governor’s housing proposal.