Vermont housing authorities warn federal voucher cuts could force exits from housing without bridge funds

Kathleen Burke, executive director of the Vermont State Housing Authority, told the House committee on Oct. 30 that federal funding levels enacted through the fiscal year 2025 continuing resolution leave Housing Choice Voucher funding “with its most severe funding shortfall ever.” She said the program has been underfunded year after year and that rising rents and stagnant incomes have driven a surge in per‑unit subsidy costs.

Burke said the statewide average voucher subsidy for Vermont households is about $911 per month and that several public housing authorities have seen per‑unit costs increase roughly 38–40 percent over five years. Using aggregate PHA data for Vermont, she said housing authorities are spending more than their budget authority (107.98 percent in the slide she presented) and are…