Former Burlington Miro Weinberger discusses new coalition, Let’s Build Homes on Tuesday. Courtesy photo.
Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s housing crisis has reached a critical point, impacting families, businesses, and communities as well as the state’s sustainability. Today, a new coalition, Let’s Build Homes, officially launched with a bold vision to address this crisis head-on. This non-partisan, pro-housing alliance is uniting individuals, employers, and community leaders from every corner of the state to advocate for strong and strategic reforms to Vermont’s housing policies.
Outlining the scale of the problem, Maura Collins, Executive Director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) said, “In the 1980s, we built three times the number of homes we do now. This summer, VHFA’s Housing Needs Assessment showed we need to double our current housing production to meet demand. Without action, Vermont risks becoming a playground for the rich and famous while moderate-income workers struggle to live here.”
The Steering Committee includes: Maura Collins, Neale Lunderville, Alex MacLean, Corey Parent, Jordan Redell, Jak Tiano and Miro Weinberger.
Vermont is experiencing an unprecedented housing shortage that threatens its economy, communities, and quality of life. Decades of state and local land-use policies have made building homes too slow and costly, leaving many unable to live, work, or raise a family in the state they love. Let’s Build Homes aims to reverse these policies by advocating for thoughtful growth, smart development, and investments in infrastructure like water and sewer systems.
Miro Weinberger, Executive Chair of Let’s Build Homes, highlighted the widespread effects of the housing shortage: “Half our renters are cost-burdened. Young families can’t afford to put down roots. Businesses can’t grow because workers can’t find homes. For the third consecutive year, Vermont has one of the highest homelessness rates in the country. But this crisis is solvable. That’s why we’re launching Let’s Build Homes.”
In just one week of initial outreach, the coalition has garnered support from nearly 100 organizations and over 200 Vermonters, spanning all sectors of the economy and a broad political spectrum. A full list of coalition members can be found at www.letsbuildhomes.org. This widespread backing underscores the urgent need for action.
Loralee Tester, the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, emphasized the universal nature of the issue, “This isn’t just a rural problem—it’s a Vermont problem. While solutions may look different in Essex County compared to Essex Junction, the need for action is universal. Housing is the foundation of our state’s vitality. Without it, we lose the people, businesses, and institutions that make Vermont what it is.”
The coalition’s mission is clear: to build more homes of all types for Vermonters of every background and income level. By breaking down barriers to construction, creating flexible policies that allow communities to grow in ways that work for them, and advocating for smart growth principles, Let’s Build Homes aims to ensure a sustainable and inclusive future for the state.
Let’s Build Homes is focused on accomplishing specific, achievable reforms this biennium that:
· Provide municipalities a new Housing Infrastructure Program, with tools and new investment to finance the public infrastructure that make new homes possible;
· Allow communities to build the housing they have envisioned and approved by reforming the permit appeals process;
· Ensure that the new Act 250 tier maps, mandated by last year’s legislation and being drawn now through regional processes, create substantial new opportunities for housing.
“Housing is about more than shelter,” added Tester. “It’s about strengthening businesses, growing our tax base, filling schools with children, and bolstering our workforce. It’s about preserving the character of our state while building resilience for the future.”
Let’s Build Homes is calling on all Vermonters to join this critical effort. Whether through advocating for policy changes at the local and state level or supporting initiatives to expand housing options, every voice matters in the fight to address Vermont’s housing crisis.
For more information or to join the coalition, visit www.letsbuildhomes.org.
About Let’s Build Homes Let’s Build Homes is a non-partisan, pro-housing coalition committed to creating abundant housing and addressing Vermont’s housing shortage. Through advocacy, community engagement, and policy reform, the coalition seeks to create a future of housing abundance for households of all backgrounds and income levels while preserving the state’s unique character and cherished landscape.
Source: 1.14.2025. Montpelier, VT – www.letsbuildhomes.org
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