House committee hears H.757 on manufactured-home co-ops; witnesses cite aging infrastructure, titling and mortgage hurdles

On Jan. 27, the House Committee on General & Housing heard testimony on H.757, a bill addressing manufactured‑home communities and limited‑equity cooperatives (LECs). Witnesses described LECs as an important source of affordable housing in Vermont and told lawmakers that aging infrastructure, complex titling rules and limited access to mortgage markets threaten long‑term affordability.

Jeremiah Ward, Water Infrastructure Support Program Director at the Cooperative Development Institute, told the committee that to his knowledge there are 18 limited‑equity co‑ops in Vermont serving about 1,700 households and that ‘‘these limited equity co ops are a key source of affordable housing in the state.’’ Ward said most households in the co‑op portfolio are low- or moderate‑income, estimating roughly 84% are below 80% of area median income and about 60% below 50% of area median income.

Ward described infrastructure built in the 1960s and 1970s that is now at or past the end of its life cycle and said replacement is expensive. ‘‘We’re seeing on project budgets $50,000 to $60,000 per home,’’ he told the committee, adding that including electrical work could add another $10,000–$15,000 per unit. He…