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Vermont House committee hears rural caucus amendment to housing package; straw poll is unfavorable
Summary
On May 22 the House General & Housing Committee considered a rural caucus amendment by Representative Laura Sebelia that would restore electricity and broadband infrastructure, lower a reuse floor-area threshold to 51%, and remove a "but for" financing test; a nonbinding straw poll opposed the amendment 2-8-1.
Representative Laura Sebelia of Windham II presented an amendment from the rural caucus to the House General & Housing Committee on May 22 that would alter the Ways and Means amendment to S127 by (1) restoring electricity infrastructure to eligible improvements, (2) lowering a minimum floor-area threshold for adaptive‑reuse projects to 51%, and (3) removing a "but for" test and a related rulemaking directive.
The amendment matters because committee members said it seeks to increase flexibility for rural communities trying to repurpose vacant buildings and to simplify eligibility rules staff and local officials find confusing. "We think the housing crisis speaks for itself. And, the but for is really challenging for Vermonters to understand," Sebelia told the committee.
Committee members spent more than an hour questioning and debating the amendment. Supporters and the amendment’s sponsor said rural towns have vacant schools and…
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