Chris Cochran, director of Community Planning and Revitalization at the Department of Housing and Community Development, told the House Committee on General and Housing that Homes for All aims to expand small‑scale infill housing by creating construction‑ready, pre‑permitted designs and a technical‑assistance cohort to help local builders and would‑be developers.

Cochran said his division has run pilot engagement with five communities to identify building types that would be accepted locally and that the program’s focus is smaller multi‑unit buildings — generally four units or fewer — that avoid higher costs associated with elevators, sprinklers or multiple means of egress. He said the goal is to produce turnkey design kits that communities agree can move through administrative approval when proposed.

Cochran told the committee the initiative is staffed by limited‑service positions that have high turnover because they lack longer‑term funding. The department requested funding in the governor’s budget and in the housing bill to extend two positions; Cochran said the ask totals $300,000 to extend two limited‑service positions and to stabilize delivery of the program. “We need to be able to pick up where we left off, but without the staff, we couldn't have the program going,” he said.

The program envisions a training cohort for local builders and a catalog of pre‑approved drawings. Cochran said pilot communities agreed to administrative approval for the designs if their communities volunteered, and that partners include the Division of Fire Safety and VHFA. He said some VHIP subsidies could be used to make smaller projects pencil out; the department is seeking partners to provide design, permitting and early‑stage coordination services.

Cochran also endorsed expanding the downtown and village tax credit program from $3 million to $5 million in the governor’s proposal, saying current demand exceeds available funding. He said the department expects continued outreach over the summer and a fall rollout if funding is available.

Ending: The department asked for the committee’s support for the budget request to extend the two limited‑service positions and said it will return to the committee with further details on community selection and a proposed timeline for the first design kits and cohort.