For Immediate Release
February 6, 2025
Media Contact
Conor Kennedy, Office of the Speaker
STATEMENT FROM VERMONT SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, CHAIR OF HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GENERAL & HOUSING FOLLOWING HOUSE PASSAGE OF OMNIBUS HOUSING BILL
Montpelier, Vt. – Today, House Speaker Jill Krowinski and Representative Marc Mihaly, Chair of the House Committee on General & Housing, issued the following statement following the tri-partisan vote to pass H.479, an act relating to housing:
“Vermonters across the state are feeling the impact of the housing crisis in their communities, and while I am proud of the hundreds of millions of dollars in housing investments and the modernization of our Act 250 laws, H.479 will truly make a meaningful impact in creating much needed housing,” said House Speaker Jill Krowinski. “Housing is by far the biggest need I hear from Vermonters - each and every day. Whether it’s the need for units for those that are unhoused, for people moving to or trying to stay in Vermont, or homes for working Vermont families, the need is great and impacts all 14 counties. The shortage creates a cascade of interconnected challenges, like workforce and childcare shortages, that prevent Vermont communities and our economy from thriving.”
“We have a housing emergency in the state—there’s not enough and what’s available is beyond the reach of most Vermonters. This absence of affordable housing makes it hard for companies, schools and local governments to find new employees,” said Representative Marc Mihaly, Chair of the House Committee on General & Housing. “It contributes to our homeless problem. New young people and families cannot come into the state for lack of housing, exacerbating the cost of our health insurance and school financing problems.”
“The House omnibus housing bill addresses these issues.”
The House omnibus housing bill addresses many of the issues facing communities in all 14- counties. Key elements of the legislation include:
- Reforms the appeals process to ensure that those who challenge housing appeals have to show specific harm to their personal interests and demonstrate that the proposed housing violates the applicable zoning laws.
- A program in the Vermont Bond Bank to ensure that funds flow to housing-related infrastructure such as roads, water, sewer and sceptic.
- Measures to move forward promotion of prefabricated modular housing and assistance to mobile home parks and owners.
- Significant appropriations to the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board to help buy down the cost of rental and homeowner housing to a level that lower income and middle-income Vermonters can afford.
- Significant funding of programs in the Vermont Housing Finance Agency to help landlords fund rehabilitation of dilapidated apartments so they become available to renters, to help developers reduce the cost of rental housing to levels most Vermonters can afford, and to promote homeownership among first-time and first-generation homebuyers.
“I look forward to continuing the work to create healthy, safe, equitable, and affordable housing solutions for all Vermonters,” said Speaker Krowinski. “The housing crisis has been an incredibly difficult time for Vermonters and businesses, but I am optimistic that with the previous investments and legislation passed, this bill will add on to the progress we’ve made and make Vermont a place that is affordable for renters and homeowners alike.”