Northeast Kingdom leaders press housing, health care, flood recovery and broadband at State House visit

Joey Fried, a board member of the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, told the Vermont Senate on Thursday that the group — formed in the late 1990s — has channeled federal and other infrastructure funds into the region for more than two decades.

"Literally, tens of millions of dollars of infrastructure money has come in over the past 20 years through the NEK collaborative," Fried said, describing the organization as a regional convener that aligns local leaders and state officials on community economic development priorities.

The Collaborative used its Northeast Kingdom Day at the State House to press three priorities for 2025: housing and a regional housing action plan; rural health-care access, including questions about birthing centers and local OBGYN capacity; and flood recovery and resilience. Broadband and continued advocacy for REAP (Rural Economic Area Partnership) zone funds featured prominently in public remarks and at a press briefing earlier in the day.

Why it matters: The NEK covers a large geographic area with a small, aging population and limited transport options. Local leaders said those conditions make broadband, emergency health access and resilient infrastructure priorities that require state and federal coordination.

On health care, NEK presenters noted ongoing service losses at local hospitals and the potential impact if small hospitals abandon OBGYN care. Fried said communities are watching whether licensing of birthing centers could help keep services locally but raised concerns about where patients would go in emergencies if hospital services close. He cited Newport and Copley as examples when discussing travel times and emergency access.

Flood recovery was described as an urgent infrastructure issue. Presenters said the NEK was hit by flooding in 2023 and twice in 2024 (July 10 and July 30) and that, at one point, roughly 25% of the state’s 2-1-1 flood-related reports were coming from the NEK despite the region containing only about 10% of the state population. Speakers urged state support for larger culverts, upgraded stormwater systems and improved emergency logistics for towns and volunteer responders.

Broadband remains an outstanding gap. Presenters said roughly 40% of the NEK lacks access to high-quality broadband, down from about 45% two years earlier, and credited regional broadband leaders and grant writers for ongoing work to secure federal funds. They also expressed concern about federal agricultural programs and grants tied to the farm bill, noting local anxiety about funding continuity.

Fried and other Collaborative representatives said the group has worked with federal and state partners — including early REAP engagement with the USDA — to bring infrastructure and economic-development resources into the region and that the Collaborative will continue to provide legislators with local witnesses on specific topics, including education and health-care testimony.

Ending: The Collaborative asked lawmakers to consider the NEK’s distinct geography and demographics in statewide policy decisions and said its members would continue to offer testimony and local officials to legislative committees.