For more than a decade, Westford has been working on a proposed community wastewater treatment system, which would allow construction of more affordable, multifamily buildings in its village center. Hinesburg passed an $11 million bond last year to update its wastewater treatment facility. That's why many towns are studying how much it would cost to improve their water and sewer capacity. "Water and wastewater is sort of foundational for everything." "Everybody is about affordable housing, but you can't get there unless you set the stage, and the stage is water and sewer," said Katie Buckley, an official at the Vermont League of Cities & Towns who helps communities make use of federal aid. Communities are tapping into a torrent of new federal funding to tackle one of the biggest obstacles to housing development across much of Vermont: a lack of public infrastructure. Towns are stepping in to fill that vacuum by revamping their zoning bylaws, joining with private landowners to encourage development of affordable housing and taking advantage of state programs aimed at reducing regulatory hurdles for new projects. And there's very little state or federal support for such housing. This shortage of mid-priced homes is increasingly the concern of Vermont's municipalities, which are trying to fill the void with the limited tools at their disposal.Īlthough Vermont lawmakers have directed millions of dollars to affordable housing programs for low-income residents in recent years, the state also has a severe shortage of homes for people who earn too much to qualify for those programs - the teachers, nurses, police officers and other middle-wage earners who are in high demand for thousands of vacant jobs. These stories are supported by a grant from the nonprofit Journalism Funding Partners, which leverages philanthropy and fundraising to boost local reporting. Seven Days is examining Vermont's housing crisis - and what can be done about it - in our Locked Out series this year.
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