Housing Assistance

The need for "affordable housing" in Vermont presents a complex challenge. Fortunately, for Vermonters, there are many organizations, including Habitat, that provide considerable assistance to people in need of help with housing related concerns. We put together this page of our web site with the goal of increasing awareness about sources of assistance.   We can only help one family at a time.  We hope the information included on this page will help all families in need of help with their housing and budget.

• Practical advice
  • Home Maintenance
  • Budget and financial fitness
  • To Buy or to Rent
• Other organizations that provide housing assistance.
• Reports on housing needs in Vermont

Is It Better to Buy or Rent?
Whether renting is better than buying depends on many factors, including how fast prices rise and how long you will stay in your home. Compare the costs of buying and renting equivalent homes.  Click to work with an interactive calculator that was developed by the New York Times.

Recipes for Financial Fitness - Want to get a better control on your finances? Check out Habitat’s interactive financial toolkit that provides ongoing financial education and resources to Habitat homeowners and the general public. The toolkit includes several helpful topics, such as controlling finances, credit basics, finding a better-paying job and getting an education.

Home Maintenance Guide - This is an excellent interactive website that helps homeowners manage home maintenance on a month to month basis. You input key information about hour home, and the website produces a monthly schedule. It is excellent and is well worth the time to make sure your home is in top shape.

Families in Financial Difficulty - how to manage
Habitat has pulled together information for Habitat families that are having difficulty managing their finances. These papers are helpful to any family - not just Habitat families. Click the link to find out more. And, there is another document specific to avoiding foreclosure.

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Other Vermont organizations that provide housing assistance.

Bennington -Rutland Opportunity Council, Inc. (BROC)
-Money Debt Management
-Mortgage Delinquency and Default Resolution Counseling
-Post purchase Counseling
-Renters Assistance
-Services for Homeless

Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS)
Shelter and services for the homeless in Vermont
800-327-6778
-Home Buyer Education Programs
-Loss Mitigation
-Money Debt Management
-Mortgage Delinquency and Default Resolution Counseling
-Pre-purchase Counseling
-Renters Assistance

CCCS of New Hampshire & Vermont Rutland County Land Trust
802-775-3139
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
128 Merchants Row, Rutland, VT
-Pre-purchase Counseling

National Council of State Housing Agencies
With links to other housing agencies around the country

NeighborWorks® Home Ownership Centers of Vermont
A statewide organization dedicated to expanding home ownership opportunities for Vermonters
-Home Improvement and Rehabilitation Counseling
-Home Buyer Education
Marketing and Outreach Initiatives
-Money Debt Management
-Mortgage Delinquency and Default Resolution Counseling
-Post-purchase Counseling
-Predatory Lending
-Pre-purchase Counseling
-Renters Assistance
-Services for Homeless

New England Resident Service Coordinators Inc. (NERSC)
Expanding and enhancing the profession of resident service coordination throughout New England

Safe at Home
Address confidentiality program within the Secretary of State's office that assists victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking who have relocated to keep their perpetrators from finding them.

U.S. Department of Agriculture/Rural Development
Helps households, communities, nonprofit agencies and small businesses in rural Vermont with financing and other forms of assistance

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Increasing homeownership, supporting community development and increasing access to affordable housing free from discrimination

 Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition
Committed to ensuring all Vermonters have decent, safe and affordable housing

 Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness
Online home of the Continuums of Care and the Statewide Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Vermont Community Loan Fund
A source for small business, community facility, and affordable housing financing for Vermonters

Vermont Department of Housing & Community Affairs
Dealing with Vermont's land use planning, historic preservation, community development and housing programs

Vermont Homeownership Initiative
A collaborative effort of the Home Ownership Centers in Vermont to help 1,000 low- and moderate-income families become homeowners

 Vermont Housing Awareness Campaign
Working to address Vermont's housing shortage by promoting planning and development of housing for all Vermonters.

Vermont Housing and Conservation Board
Provides grants, loans and technical assistance for the development of perpetually affordable housing and for the conservation of land and properties

 Vermont Housing Data
A central, searchable repository of Vermont housing data. Includes the Directory of Affordable Rental Housing (DoARH).

Vermont Housing Financing Agency
VHFA's mission is to finance and promote affordable, safe and decent housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income Vermonters. Please click on VHFA to learn more. There is a lot of information about ways to rent or to purchae work force housing. In addition, VHFA has put together most of the links on this page to information that is an invaluable resource about help for housing in Vermont.

Vermont Law Help
Vermont's free legal help Web site presented by Legal Services Law Line of Vermont and Vermont Legal Aid

 Vermont Resident Service Coordinators
Provides educational and peer support to resident service coordinators in Vermont.

Vermont State Housing Authority
A provider and administrator of affordable housing programs

Vermont Statewide Housing Conference
Vermont's biennial gathering of housing professionals

Vermont Tenants Inc.
A program of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity Inc.

= Sites developed by VHFA

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Recent Publications

"Between a Rock and a Hard Place," revised in June 2010, underscores that the challenge for Vermont is greater than ever. Click on the link to read more. This is essential reading for anyone concerned about affordable housing in our area

Public Policy Briefs - Recent studies have shown that the potential benefits of homeownership include increased household wealth, improved physical and mental health, better cognitive achievement in children, and residents more active in the community. In light of this growing evidence, Habitat for Humanity examines local and national policies to determine how they can be enhanced or changed to provide increased access to affordable housing, and thus improve the lives of low-income people in the United States and around the world.

Below is a list of public policy briefs and resources. If you would like more information about Habitat's public policy work, please contact Susan Corts Hill at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Public Policy Briefs:
Home ownership Development Tax Credit
Federal Regulation of Government Sponsored Enterprises
Affordable Housing Trust Fund
Appropriations: Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Property Rights for Women
Reform of U.S. Domestic Disaster Recovery Policy
Predatory Lending

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