Casey McNeil and Loralee Tester: Addressing our housing shortage is critical to the future of our communities

This commentary is by Casey McNeil of Bomoseen and Loralee Tester of Lyndonville, board members of Let’s Build Homes. Casey is the third-generation owner of McNeil & Reedy, a menswear store in downtown Rutland, and president of the Downtown Rutland Partnership Board. Loralee is executive director of the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce.

Housing is the foundation of a thriving, inclusive and economically strong Vermont. Addressing our housing shortage is critical to the future of our communities. By building more homes we can grow our tax base, attract and retain families, sustain our schools and hospitals, support our workforce and breathe new life into every corner of our state. With sufficient housing, Vermont can be a place where people of all backgrounds can afford to live, work and raise a family.

The cost of housing in Vermont has reached a breaking point. 

Every day, we see its impact across the Northeast Kingdom and Rutland — from St. Johnsbury to Island Pond, from Rutland City to Killington. Too many Vermonters cannot find homes that fit their needs and budgets, and the consequences are severe: fewer workers, businesses struggling without a reliable workforce and an aging population that threatens the viability of our schools, hospitals and essential services.

Vermont now has the fourth-highest homelessness rate in the nation, while soaring home prices and rent burdens are crushing working families. We cannot afford to wait — Vermont must act now to build and renovate the homes our communities desperately need.

A key driver of this housing shortage is decades of restrictive state and local policies that have made it far too difficult to build new housing. Layer upon layer of regulation has constrained development, driving up costs and pricing out Vermonters who want to teach, nurse and own small businesses here.

To secure Vermont’s future, we must break down these barriers and make it easier to build the homes our communities need.

That is why we, along with many others across Vermont, have joined Let’s Build Homes — a nonpartisan, pro-housing coalition dedicated to supporting housing growth and development. With board and coalition members from communities across the state, we understand that what works in Island Pond may not work in Rutland. That is why we are committed to pursuing tailored housing solutions that meet the unique needs of every part of Vermont. Our coalition is committed to:

• Advocating for pro-housing state policies: Pushing for reforms that streamline regulations and support pro-housing legislation.
• Strategic planning: Advancing Act 250 tier-mapping and ensuring infrastructure investments in village centers, downtowns and growth areas.
• Shifting the narrative: Promoting a vision of Vermont that welcomes new neighbors, embraces growth and opportunity, and preserves its unique character.

Let’s Build Homes was formed just this year and has already hit the ground running. Since our formation just over a month ago we have proposed legislation to fix one critical roadblock to building housing in Vermont: a lack of public infrastructure funding. 

Let’s Build Homes is working to move this legislation forward after hearing from developers across the state about promising housing projects that could provide new homes in Vermont communities but are paralyzed by the same roadblock. Whether in small towns or growing communities, these developments remain on hold because they cannot access the funds needed for essential infrastructure.

For a sense of the scale of this problem, take a recent member survey by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns that highlights the huge gap between the public infrastructure that we need for housing development and what we have funding for. The total anticipated costs from the 88 municipalities that responded to the survey is $394 million and the funding secured to date is $152 million — leaving a $242 million gap just to meet expected infrastructure costs for projects already in process. 

The Housing Infrastructure Initiative is a game-changing approach that allows future tax revenue from new housing developments to be used upfront, making it possible to fund infrastructure now. 

In the months ahead we expect to work on HIT and many more initiatives that will help deliver more housing in Vermont. We invite you to join us and the hundreds of Vermonters who are already part of this movement. Visit our website to learn more and become a part of the solution. Together, we can build a stronger, more vibrant and more affordable Vermont.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Casey McNeil and Loralee Tester: Addressing our housing shortage is critical to the future of our communities.