The governor announced a $3.9 million Community Development Block Grant award

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The Scott administration will award more than $3.9 million in accessibility improvements to community facilities, renovations to create mixed-use housing, and affordable home repair financing for low- and moderate-income homeowners.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) announced Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding awards through the Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP) on December 29, 2022. The grant will support 12 projects across Vermont, including accessibility improvements at community facilities, renovations to create new mixed-use housing, and affordable home repair financing for low- and moderate-income homeowners. This updates the announcement from November.

“The Community Development Block Grant program is making a big difference in towns and cities across Vermont,” said Governor Scott. “With these grants, we are making important investments in infrastructure, housing rehabilitation and economic development, all of which we need to revitalize our communities.”

“It is exciting to see the historic Ward 5 school building repurposed to serve the greater city of Barre for generations to come,” said VCDP Board Chair Cynthia Gubb. “This project is a great example of how a community can creatively develop a building to help meet Vermont’s critical housing needs.”

In a joint statement, Senators Leah and Sanders and Congressman Welch said, “This is great news that this federal funding will help address many important needs in our community.” This money will be used to create much-needed affordable housing, help people with disabilities and people struggling with substance use disorders, and support local nonprofits affected by the epidemic. Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding that makes these investments possible is a critical resource for Vermont communities and continues to be one of our top funding needs. We look forward to seeing these projects strengthen communities and improve the lives of Vermonters across the state.

Vermont’s congressional delegation, including Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.), remain committed to supporting and strengthening federal funding that hinders community development. Including $755,059 in Recovery Housing funding and an additional $8.8 million in CDBG-CV funding to support businesses, public facilities and service programs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to build recovery and recovery housing for individuals.

Among the 12 projects that received $3.9 million:

The City of Brandon and the Brandon Free Public Library have been awarded $100,000 for the Brandon Free Public Library expansion project. This project aims to complete accessibility improvements to bring the building into compliance with ADA regulations.
Barre City and Downstreet Homes and Community Development were awarded $500,000 for Granite City Apartments. Funds will be used to purchase and renovate the historic Ward 5 school into nine apartments that will serve low- and moderate-income (LMI) families.
The City of Newport and Rural Edge was awarded $400,000 for the Newport Crossing Project. This round of funding will be used to complete the construction of fourteen (14) affordable rental units that will be available to low and moderate income (LMI) families.

The Vermont Community Development Program, a division of DHCD, provides nearly $7 million in competitive grants annually to Vermont cities and towns. The grants are funded by the federal CDBG program administered by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

CDBG funds enable communities to effectively address local community development needs by providing federal funds to develop eligible communities by providing affordable housing and a suitable living environment. Funds are used to expand targeted economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals and improve infrastructure critical to community health and well-being.