Mayor&Rsquo;S Office

BTV Housing Policy Reform

Housing is one of the most important topics facing our city.

By getting it right, we have the opportunity to structure our land use in a way that benefits our climate and natural areas, makes it possible for our community to be more diverse, spreads the costs of our public services over a larger tax base, and much more.

For far too long, housing in Burlington has been too scarce and too expensive. In recent years, Burlington has made progress by strengthening the City's proud legacy of investing in permanently affordable housing, bolstering enforcement work, and examining land use policies with an eye toward how they restrict the creation of new housing. Several additional important policy reforms were advanced as a result of the Mayor's 2019 Housing Summit. But we have more work to do.

Action Plan to Fulfill the Promise of Housing as a Human Right in Burlington

In December 2021, Mayor Weinberger released this 10-point plan that outlines a roadmap to double the rate of housing production and end chronic homelessness in our community. The Action Plan, developed in partnership with the Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO), Office of City Planning, and Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (REIB), begins with the premise that Burlington must redouble its efforts to combat the housing crisis. This action plan will implement 10 specific initiatives, aimed at two major commitments. 

1. Double housing production over the next 5 years

  • Establish a goal to support the creation of 1,250 total homes, including 312 permanently affordable homes, by the end of 2026 (25% of the Building Homes Together 2.0 goal)
    • Update: Use the link to the city's housing dashboard for real-time updates on housing creation in Burlington.

  • Fully fund the Housing Trust Fund to voter-approved levels in fiscal year 2023
    • Update: The Mayor's proposed FY2023 Budget includes a dedicated $0.01 rate per $100 assessed property value, expected to generate nearly $565,000 in revenue for the Housing Trust Fund.

  • Open new housing opportunities through the creation of a mixed-use Enterprise Innovation District in a portion of the South End
    • Update: City Planning is collecting input on potential zoning changes for a part of the South End. Use links below to learn more and share your input. 

  • Open new on-campus University of Vermont (UVM) student housing opportunities by rezoning the former Trinity Campus to reduce UVM's pressure on the housing market
    • Update: The Planning Commission is discussing potential zoning changes. Use links below to learn more and share your input.

  • Open new housing opportunities City-wide through "missing middle" zoning reforms, which will expand opportunities for new homes to be created in every neighborhood in ways that reflect the character of these parts of the city
    • Coming soon

2. End chronic homelessness in Burlington by the end of 2024

  • Invest at least $5 million of ARPA funds, with at least $1 million designated for initiatives to better serve the chronically homeless and $4 million to build new permanently affordable housing
  • Create a Special Assistant to End Homelessness position within the Community & Economic Development Office (CEDO) to provide a single point of accountability for expanded community efforts
    • Update: Sarah Russell joined the CEDO team in April 2022 as the Special Assistant to End Homelessness.

  • Strengthen through new investment the Chittenden County "Coordinated Entry" command center team that drives weekly progress towards functional zero with a comprehensive, real-time, by-name data effort 
    • Update: ARPA funds have been invested to increase staffing capacity for Coordinated Entry, with 1.5 new FTE staff.

  • Support the creation of 78 new homes for formerly homeless residents (25% of the goal for new, permanently affordable housing) by partnering with affordable housing developers
  • Invest in approximately 30 shelter pods and related infrastructure to create a new low-barrier facility for 2022
    • Update: Learn more about the Emergency Shelter Community using the links below. 

 

Want to know more about the policies and the progress?

The work outlined in this plan is already underway. Find more information and details about next steps for these intiatives below.