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CCRPC advisory group weighs higher housing targets for second phase of Building Homes Together campaign
Summary
CCRPC staff told the Planning Advisory Committee they are considering raising the region's housing target to roughly 1,000 homes per year and increasing the share designated affordable to about 25% after five years of the Building Homes Together campaign; staff will seek stakeholder feedback before a formal launch.
Regina Mahony, Planning Program Manager for the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, told the Planning Advisory Committee on Sept. 8 that while the region met the campaign's total construction targets over the first five years, key housing indicators — vacancy rates, homeownership inventory, rates of cost‑burdened households and homelessness — have not improved.
Melanie Needle, Senior Planner, presented 2020 housing numbers and five‑year averages and demonstrated a draft dashboard summarizing early results from the Building Homes Together campaign. Mahony said campaign leaders (Champlain Housing Trust, EverNorth and CCRPC) are considering new, more ambitious goals: an increased annual construction target (staff discussed a possible target of about 1,000 homes per year) and a higher percentage of units designated affordable (staff discussed a potential 25% affordable target).
Staff described planned outreach before advancing a formal proposal: presentation of the new targets and campaign goals at a Housing Convening on Sept. 30, focus groups in October, and a briefing at the Vermont Development Conference in early November. Committee members were invited to provide feedback prior to any formal announcement.
Committee members asked questions and offered suggestions. Ken Belliveau asked whether the region had ever exceeded 1,000 units in a single year; staff said the region exceeded 1,000 units in 2016. David White proposed a retrospective on the first five years to surface which municipal tools and funding sources were most effective; Mahony cited the regional housing bond as a key driver of progress. Jason Charest suggested renaming the second phase 'Building More Homes Together.'
Next steps: staff will incorporate feedback from the Sept. 30 convening and subsequent focus groups before finalizing campaign goals for a public announcement.
