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Committee reviews housing-related appropriations and requests more detail from VHCB, VSC and workforce partners
Summary
Committee counsel summarized proposed appropriations for housing programs — including $250,000 for VHFA to pursue off-site construction recommendations, workforce funding for VSC, $500,000 for NeighborWorks-affiliated centers, and a proposed supplemental for VHCB resident services — and asked agencies for more detail.
The committee reviewed several appropriations and asked for additional testimony and clarifying information before finalizing funding priorities.
Cameron Lloyd, Legislative Council, highlighted a $250,000 appropriation to the Vermont Housing Finance Agency to implement recommendations from a January report on off-site construction methods and related workforce and climate goals. Lloyd said the report was issued Jan. 9 and the appropriation would fund next steps.
Counsel also described a workforce-development appropriation initially estimated at roughly $373,000 for Vermont State Colleges (VSC) to develop HVAC programming; testimony earlier in the day had suggested some of that cost might be lower (one witness cited $100,000 for startup), and staff said they would follow up with VSC and witnesses (Sarah Greppel and others) to reconcile the numbers.
The draft would include $500,000 in grants to five NeighborWorks America-affiliated homeownership centers, administered through DHCD, to provide homebuyer education, counseling and foreclosure-prevention services. Lloyd noted that the bill language did not currently specify how the $500,000 would be divided among centers and that DHCD would likely determine allocations unless the committee instructs otherwise.
Members discussed the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board's (VHCB) resident services program, which was authorized in section 88 of Act 181 in the prior session but was not funded at that time. Committee members requested testimony from VHCB about how previously appropriated charitable funds were used, how many resident services coordinator positions were funded (committee heard that 10 positions had been supported), and how VHCB would allocate an additional $6,000,000 the draft contemplates. Chris Donnelly and other witnesses noted VHCB has received philanthropic funds but that the state appropriation mechanism and oversight warranted more detail.
Committee members directed staff to obtain precise spending and program details from VHCB, to reconcile the VSC workforce funding estimates with witnesses, and to provide a prioritized appropriation letter to the Appropriations Committee. The committee did not take any final appropriations votes in this meeting.
