Let’s Build Homes coalition urges lawmaker action on infrastructure financing, appeals reform and Act 181 guidance

Mauro Weinberger, former mayor of Burlington and a lead on the newly launched Let’s Build Homes coalition, told the House Committee on General & Housing on Jan. 15 that Vermont must sharply increase housing production and offered immediate policy priorities to help do it.

Weinberger said the coalition — which he said has roughly 400 Vermonters and about 100 organizations signed on after its public launch — wants to work with state and local governments to speed homebuilding. "It is clear that our housing shortage is so acute that it is not only driving unacceptable levels of pain among Vermonters," Weinberger said.

The coalition framed three near-term priorities. First, Weinberger recommended capturing a portion of the public revenues generated by new housing and using those revenues to finance the water, sewer, stormwater and road infrastructure that make larger projects feasible. He urged lawmakers to design a simple tool municipalities and builders could use to direct those new revenues into locally owned infrastructure rather than obligate developers to carry the full up‑front cost.

Second, Weinberger pressed for appeals reform to limit situations where a single opponent can delay or block a project long enough that it becomes infeasible. "If it meets the law, it should get a permit quickly, and that shouldn't be something that you can jump into court and delay indefinitely," he said, arguing that communities that set policy through planning should be able to see projects built under that policy.

Third, Weinberger urged further legislative guidance on implementing Act 181, the 2024 statute that shifted responsibility for drafting housing tier maps to regional planning commissions. He said some local and affordable‑housing groups report uncertainty about how growth areas should be interpreted and suggested modest clarifications or cleanup language could help RPCs complete the work.

Committee members asked follow‑up questions. Representative Dunn asked whether Weinberger’s group was considering public transit as part of infrastructure priorities; Weinberger agreed housing and transportation policy "very much go hand in hand" and noted that Act 21 has treated transportation corridors as a possible exemption during the tier‑map process. Representative Elizabeth Burrows asked about coalition membership from more rural counties; Weinberger said early signups overrepresented Essex and Caledonia counties relative to population and credited local nonprofit networks for helping spread interest.

Weinberger described the coalition as a statewide mix of employers, hospitals, utilities and advocacy organizations and said the group will provide technical help for drafting proposals and working with RPCs and municipalities. He said the coalition’s short-term goal aligns with the Vermont Housing Finance Agency analysis the coalition cited: doubling recent housing production and pursuing the VHFA target of up to 30,000 new homes by 2030.

The committee did not take formal action during the session. Weinberger said the coalition will continue outreach and engage the legislature and RPCs on proposed policy details.

Less critical details: Weinberger noted one strong production year in 2024, particularly in Chittenden County, but emphasized the need for sustained increases statewide. He also referenced a Green Mountain Care Board report that linked housing supply to health‑care system pressures.