VT S0127

Vermont Act No. 69 (S.127) - Housing and Housing Development

• Amends the Vermont Rental Housing Improvement Program to cap grants/loans at $50,000 per unit (with additional $20,000 available for accessibility upgrades), requires landlords to coordinate with homelessness service organizations, and mandates leasing to priority populations including those exiting homelessness, refugees, or individuals with disabilities

• Creates the Vermont Manufactured Home Improvement and Repair Program with grants up to $20,000 for park owners to infill vacant lots and up to $15,000 for homeowners to install foundations and utility connections

• Establishes the Vermont Infrastructure Sustainability Fund within the Vermont Bond Bank to provide low-interest loans for municipal water, sewer, and transportation projects that enable housing development

• Creates the Community and Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP), a new tax increment financing tool allowing municipalities to retain up to 75-85% of education property tax increment for up to 20 years to finance infrastructure supporting housing developments, with the Vermont Economic Progress Council authorized to approve up to $200 million annually in lifetime education tax increment retention

• Adds citizenship and immigration status as protected classes under Vermont's fair housing and public accommodations laws, prohibits landlords from requiring Social Security numbers on rental applications, and authorizes up to $2 million from the Environmental Contingency Fund for brownfields cleanup