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State officials outline HUD Consolidated Plan priorities and local housing needs in St. Johnsbury outreach meeting
Summary
State housing officials and partners held a public outreach session in St. Johnsbury to present the Vermont Consolidated Plan required by HUD, explain funding streams (CDBG, HOME, HTF, ESG), and gather input; a draft plan will be published for public review March 15.
State officials and housing partners held a public outreach meeting in St. Johnsbury to present Vermont’s HUD Consolidated Plan process and solicit local input on priorities and programs. The session, led by Patrick Sheld of the Agency of Commerce and the Department of Housing and Community Development, explained that the Consolidated Plan is a five‑year application that guides how the state allocates federal formula funds and requires annual action plans and public comment.
"In order for us to continue to receive our allocation from HUD we have to go through this 5‑year application process," Patrick Sheld said, explaining that the plan and annual action plans tell HUD how Vermont plans to use CDBG, HOME, HTF and ESG funds.
Why it matters: the Consolidated Plan sets priorities that determine how federal housing, community development and homelessness‑response dollars are distributed across the state. At the St. Johnsbury meeting officials emphasized that housing affordability remains the top priority, followed by economic development, public facilities and public services, and that public feedback during the outreach period can affect how funds are targeted.
State partners described program roles and typical uses. Shannon Trainer and a senior housing analyst from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board explained that HOME funds and the National Housing Trust Fund (HTF) are used to support projects that serve low‑ and extremely low‑income households, and that HTF projects commonly require deeper rental subsidies to meet affordability targets. An AHS official described Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) uses and a statutory limit that "no more than 60% of the ESG award can be used to shelter." The presenters also outlined CDBG priorities—housing, economic development, public facilities and public services—and gave regional examples such as village center apartments, school revitalization projects and work on the Armory in St. Johnsbury.
Officials discussed how allocations are set and how market changes affect funding. The presenters noted formula allocations are largely population driven and said Vermont’s CDBG allocation has fallen since the pandemic-era housing boom; as one presenter summarized, the state "has lost probably over $400,000 in our cdbg allocation" since the real‑estate shifts following COVID‑19.
Local examples and monitoring: speakers cited recent projects in the Northeast Kingdom funded through program stacks (CDBG, HOME, HTF and state funds), described a home‑repair program operated by Rural Edge for low‑income homeowners, and noted that public housing authorities must have plans certified consistent with the Consolidated Plan. Officials said the state performs annual monitoring of projects funded with HOME or HTF to enforce long‑term affordability and building standards.
Next steps: presenters said a draft Consolidated Plan will be published for public review by March 15, with submission to HUD expected in May and HUD review/approval in the following months. Attendees were invited to complete an online survey and submit comments by the public‑review deadline.
The meeting closed with an invitation to continue submitting feedback by email and through the posted survey so the state can refine priorities before finalizing the five‑year plan.
