MORRISVILLE, Vt. (WCAX) – Will new data outlining the scope of Vermont’s housing crisis spark new reforms at the Statehouse?
‘There is a serious crisis and epidemic right now,” said Amethyst Moon, who has struggled with homelessness and housing security since she was a teen but says she just got into an affordable unit last year. “The housing crisis that we are experiencing everywhere is affecting our entire ecosystem.”
Housing is a persistent problem and according to a new state report, there’s a growing gap between what the state has and what Vermonters need. The Housing Needs Assessment shows the state will need between 24-and-36,000-thousand units in the next five years.
Despite an influx of people moving to Vermont since the pandemic, the state’s population growth is still trending down, as baby boomers are retiring and young families can’t find homes. Recent flooding has made the problem worse.
Vermont Housing Commissioner Alex Farrell says that with a shrinking tax base, the state won’t be able to provide services for Vermonters.
“We’re actually inhibiting our own workforce growth and population growth by not providing enough places for people to come and move to,” he said.
Morrisville in Lamoille County has seen a wind of change in housing in recent years, in part, because of subsidies to nonprofit developers Many parcels are already hooked up to water and sewer infrastructure.
The Riverside Village apartments complex recently added 56 units to the community. Local officials say it is sorely needed but add that they also say that also need more single-family homes for young families.
Planners say state lawmakers need to lean on private developers and invest in municipal sewer and water infrastructure to allow for more “missing middle” housing.
“The 234-unit ownership model is really important and can be unlocked by making strategic investments in infrastructure,” said Lamoille County Planning Commission Deputy Director Seth Jensen.
The renewed focus on housing comes after state lawmakers made big changes to statewide and local land use laws with the intention of creating a pro-housing environment.