Developers and residents say VHCB dollars are essential for senior affordable housing in Franklin County

Developers, housing providers and a tenant testified at a Feb. 14 hearing at the State House that funding for the Vermont Housing Conservation Board helps build permanent affordable senior housing and supports resident services that keep older Vermonters healthy and housed.

Cindy Reed, director of real estate development at Cathedral Square, told the committee she is building Reed Commons in the city of St. Albans, a 33‑unit affordable senior building for people 55 and older that she said is about 65% complete and expected to open in August. “We have already 181 people on our inquiry list,” Reed said, describing a fast anticipated lease‑up.

Reed said Reed Commons sits on a remediated brownfield half a mile from downtown St. Albans, next to a new railroad dispatch center and a future market‑rate development. She described project features including geothermal heating and cooling (a fossil‑fuel‑free system), universal accessibility elements such as step‑in showers and…