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Conference committee discusses $10 million H.91 allocation, VHFA flexibility and DHCD staffing
Summary
Appropriators noted a $10 million placeholder in the budget tied to H.91 and discussed giving the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) more flexibility — and possibly consolidating positions — to accelerate housing production.
Members of the Appropriations conference committee reviewed a $10 million allocation tied to H.91 and discussed giving the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) greater flexibility to move funds and staff resources to get housing units built more quickly.
Speaker 2 said the committee had placed $10 million in the budget but that H.91 language — which may allocate those funds to specific programs — could supersede budget language depending on order of enactment. Members discussed bundling VHFA’s three programs and the revolving loan fund, and proposed consolidating or reallocating several DHCD positions into a smaller number of flexible positions with an overall funding pool that the agency could manage.
The committee emphasized the need for flexibility to get funds out the door and for clear reporting on how VHFA would use any added authority. Staff said they would prepare language options that either (a) leave money separated by program, or (b) consolidate funding for VHFA with explicit authority to allocate among identified programs and to manage positions accordingly.
No final vote or statutory changes were recorded in the transcript; the committee asked staff to draft bill language and fiscal notes showing how the proposed flexibility or consolidation would operate before final conference action.
