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Vermont municipal leaders tell Ways & Means CHIP could speed housing but requires clear guardrails
Summary
Municipal officials and the Vermont League of Cities and Towns told the House Ways & Means committee that the Community Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP) could help towns build housing without raising local property tax rates, but warned it requires detailed agreements, technical assistance, and safeguards to protect education fund revenue.
Samantha Sheehan, municipal policy and advocacy specialist for the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, told the House Ways & Means committee on May 7 that the Community Housing Infrastructure Program, or CHIP, could expand municipal capacity to finance housing projects without increasing local property tax rates.
"CHIP does not require an increase in municipal tax rates," Sheehan said, adding that the program would grow other nonproperty state and local revenues and increase the grand list over time to help fund infrastructure for housing.
Nut graf: Witnesses said CHIP could help towns that lack bonding capacity or cash reserves, but successful projects require long municipal lead times, clear housing infrastructure agreements and dedicated technical assistance. Committee staff and local officials urged strict limits on how much education property tax revenue the program could retain.
Sheehan walked the…
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