One of Burlington’s best-kept housing secrets is about to become better known! On Saturday, October 3rd, leaders of housing cooperatives in Vermont and Montreal will explain how their co-ops work and why they love them. Co-ops have operated in Burlington for over 20 years and in Montreal for over 30, and new ones continue to […]
Your help is needed! CHT is working with Burlington City Community Housing LLC (BCCH), the City of Burlington, the Vermont Land Trust and their constituents in a planning process for potential site designs on 27.65 acres of land BCCH recently purchased from Burlington College. A core part of the process is to solicit the community’s feedback through an online […]
The Champlain Housing Trust was joined by leaders of NeighborWorks America to celebrate the creation of a new community garden at Harrington Village in Shelburne, a brand new neighborhood that opened in the fall of 2014. The creation of the garden was followed by a barbecue for residents and the neighbors. The event kicks-off NeighborWorks […]
** UPDATED BELOW ** Last night the Shelburne Select Board hosted an open public hearing after hearing from residents about neighborhood safety concerns at Harbor Place, temporary emergency housing with services operated by the Champlain Housing Trust on Shelburne Road. It’s clear to us that people in the neighborhood want to feel safer and have […]
Shared equity homeownership, often through a community land trust like CHT, is getting noticed. We’ve known (and demonstrated [PDF-4.5MB]) that the program works to create homeownership opportunity for people of limited means, and that it’s a growing response across the country to help people reach their dreams of owning their home. Now, more mainstream national media outlets are taking notice. […]
The other day a man named Robert came into our office and gave us a note and a single red rose. The note was addressed to the staff, boards and donors of the Champlain Housing Trust, COTS, Burlington Housing Authority, and CVOEO. Robert was housed at Harbor Place for a period last winter, and now he lives in one […]
We know that decent, safe and affordable housing is a key factor in determining health and well-being, both on an individual basis but also in our neighborhoods. We know this is true with people who are homeless, and that the chronically homeless present a special challenge in the provision of health care and supportive services. […]
Every five years, the State of Vermont develops a “Consolidated Plan” to submit to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to guide use of approximately $10 million dollars in spending on housing, homelessness, and economic and community development. As part of this process, state officials are seeking public input to develop their […]
When we think of affordable housing, we often think of the benefits that people living there receive: a secure, safe place to live that meets their budget and where they can set and achieve their goals. But there’s a significant economic impact from which we all benefit — jobs, sales and payroll taxes, local economic […]
We had a 9% increase in homelessness in Vermont last year and while some of it is visible, many people are in hotels, hospitals, couch surfing or even in prisons without a home. In Opening Doors, Closing Gaps, we explore some of the challenges, data, and — most importantly — solutions we can pursue. It’s the latest […]
As we’ve been exploring in our series of papers, the need for affordable housing is much more important than just having safe and decent place to call home. It has an impact on education, health and other barometers of community well-being. We now turn our attention to the connection between housing and the workforce — which Lisa Falcone of Working Bridges claims […]
In the second of a series of papers on how affordable housing impacts other pieces of our lives, the connection between health and housing is becoming better understood. In Housing and Health: The Importance of Place, we delve into some of these impacts. As Megan Sandel, M.D., M.P.H., and Deborah Frank, M.D. write, “For many of our […]