Vermont Business Magazine Today the Vermont Senate voted on S.226, an omnibus housing bill that reforms permitting and land use regulations to make it easier to develop new housing, provides tax incentives and grants to promote housing development, and makes housing more affordable for the middle class. The bill reads in part: "The purpose of this chapter is to enable formation of special municipal and 16 regional land banks to revitalize communities by vesting the banks with the 17 authority to purchase, own, and convey real property that is blighted or vacant."
Senate President Pro Tem Becca Balint offered the following statement on second reading of the bill:
“One of my biggest priorities this session is addressing Vermont’s housing crisis. Vermonters across the state struggle with housing costs, access, and stability. Businesses can’t recruit employees, workers can’t fill jobs, and individuals and families are suffering.”
“I’ve been fighting for access to housing throughout my time in the legislature. Housing is the key to healthier people and healthier communities. We need to invest in it like we really mean it, and make the policy changes needed to turn the tide on the housing crisis that has been decades in the making here in Vermont. The bill we voted on today does just that.”
“I’m also grateful for the hard work on all sides that went into drafting a compromise that will provide consumer protection around home-improvement services. Homeowners deserve additional protections, and we must provide those protections as we seek to accelerate housing development.”
State Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D-Chittenden), the lead sponsor on S.226, said, “From Bennington to Newport, Vermont has reached a critical point in our housing crisis. Our local economies are suffering, families are being forced to make difficult choices, and our most vulnerable populations are without a roof over their heads. This cannot be our normal. We all deserve to be able to afford to live where we work and purchase homes where we can raise our families.”
Ram Hinsdale held a housing forum last fall that was attended by over a hundred interested residents which helped to inform this legislation. This bill takes multiple approaches to ensure every Vermonter has safe, sustainable, and affordable places to live.
“When you bring people together from across the political spectrum and from a variety of perspectives, you make real progress that benefits everyone," she said. "There’s a reason we ended up with a bill that benefits renters and homeowners, workers and employers, new families and long-time residents. You can accomplish a lot when you listen, and you don’t leave the negotiating table empty-handed.”
The bill passed and is part of a larger investment in housing spread over several bills and the state budget.
Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray said: “I commend the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs for their leadership to address our extreme housing shortage.
We cannot de-couple our housing crisis from our workforce crisis. S.226 not only recognizes the crisis but works to address barriers to housing development and increase access to affordable housing.”
