For Immediate Release
Contact: Katherine Levasseur
Office of the Speaker of the House
KLevasseur@leg.state.vt.us
Montpelier, VT - Concerned citizens, housing and homeless service providers, and legislators gathered at the State House today for a vigil in order to raise awareness of the pressing issue of homelessness in Vermont.
“Too many Vermonters struggle to find safe, affordable and secure homes” said House Speaker Mitzi Johnson. “With the new federal tax legislation, Washington D.C. has made it harder for Vermonters to find affordable housing, cutting much needed tax credits and financing tools. The law will significantly worsen our housing crisis here in Vermont, with an estimated loss of $15 million every year in housing investments.”
Last year, the legislature established the 2017 Housing Bond. This legislation creates new housing at several different levels of affordability. The first year of funding will go towards alleviating the housing crunch felt in many cities across the state. Projects will dedicate housing units to the homeless that include at risk youth, the chronically homeless, and seniors.