Jericho Affordable Housing Committee

Senator Michael Sirotkin, Chittenden Senate District - Post to Front Porch Forum 12/17/2022

NEW VT PROGRAM PROMOTES ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS WITH NECESSARY FREE PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT AND UP TO $50,000 GRANTS PER EACH SMALL UNIT CONSTRUCTED!

The following is a letter to the editor to appear in Seven Days, highlighting a little known new program/opportunity that our Senate Housing committee initiated this past session. I felt it important, that given our housing crisis, that word about this excellent opportunity get out to my Chittenden County constituent owning homes in a timely fashion. See contacts below for more details.

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Kudos to Seven Days on the completion of their investigatory series Locked Out– an amazing in depth, understandable and human portrayal of Vermont's housing crisis. As noted, the early articles were indeed referenced in support of our Senate Housing Committee's work during this legislative session.

Our committee had earlier traveled throughout Vermont, hearing from scores of witnesses on all aspects of Vermont's growing housing shortage. We quickly came to the same conclusion, so graphically articulated by Locked-Out, that money alone can't solve the problem.

While more financial resources are certainly essential, significant policy changes are equally important. This past biennium alone we not only invested hundreds of millions of dollars in housing, we also advanced policies that eased development, incentivized new housing and creatively expanded use of existing housing.

Examples include policies/programs to modernize zoning ordinances to create greater density, to control short term rentals, easing/removing unnecessary permitting, bridge resources to make construction of market rate homes more affordable, smart growth policies to encourage historic and compact settlements, preserving manufactured homes, renovating blighted homes, enhancing health and safety inspections, and creating new accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

Highlighting this last initiative, we found that many Vermonters, especially older Vermonters, are over housed. Many downsize, but many could convert their homes by adding a separate smaller ADU within the dwelling. This can be a win-win situation. Vermonters can bring in more income, stay in their own homes, and create an additional unit of housing without the expense of building a whole new house.

Governor Scott supported this concept and tells the story of creating an added housing unit when he was younger, at little cost, and providing needed additional income to his family.

Thankfully, we have now loosened ADU regulatory restrictions. More importantly, we recognized that homeowners are not developers and need essential technical help with financing, permitting, construction, renting, etc., similar to the challenges highlighted in Locked Out.

As a result, Vermont will now provide this critical technical support and also grant up to $50,000/unit for the construction of an ADU, thereby successfully combining policy and money to create new housing in a highly cost-effective manner.

Contact VT Department of Housing and Community Development, shaun.gilpin@vermont.gov, to learn more and thank you again Seven Days.

Senator Michael Sirotkin
Chair, Senate Economic Development , Housing and General Affairs Committee

Seth Leonard, currently Managing Director of Community Development at Vermont Housing Finance Agency, was invited to speak at a joint meeting of the Affordable Housing Committee, Planning Commission, and Jericho Community Development Corporation on November 28, 2022. His talk described the status of housing, past and present, in Jericho and within the state. The focus of the presentation and meeting was on opportunities and next steps for affordable housing in Jericho. Click here to review his slide deck.

At the JAHC November 2022 meeting we invited a representative from Underhill's Harvest Crossing to learn more about the United Church of Underhill's plans to purchase 9 acres, develop the infrastructure, and then sell several 1-acre improved lots to Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity to build homes for purchase by working families. The slides from their presentation can be found here, a recording of the presentation and discussion by MMCTV can be found here, and you can find out more about this project at https://www.harvestcrossing.org/.

At the October 2022 Jericho AHC meeting Ms. Curtin described how municipalities and interested developers can partner with Champlain Housing Trust to build affordable homes. She described the shared equity program and how CHT ensures homes remain affordable in perpetuity. Slides from the presentation can be found here, on the JAHC webpage, and a recording of the presentation and discussion by MMCTV can be watched here.

Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity has updated their weatherization program with higher income levels for Chittenden County residents.

At the August 4th Select Board Meeting, Chairs of the Planning Commission and Affordable Housing Committee teamed up to frame the housing conversation in Jericho. The goal was to outline the housing problem within a Jericho-specific context and discuss the wide range of tools and actions available to address it. The Select Board was encouraged to adopt a 5 year housing goal, communicate what policies and actions they would be willing to consider, and schedule quarterly housing meetings to keep this issue a priority moving forward.

Please click here to review the slides or find the 8/4 meeting and listen to the presentation and discussion at MMCTV's website or Youtube channel (presentation begins about 90 minutes into the meeting).

Hot off the presses, the JAHC has created a great summary document showing the current housing statistics for Jericho. Understanding the statistics in this document will help the Town develop future housing goals.

CLICK HERE to view the Housing Needs Summary.

Cathedral Square was recently awarded a grant by the Department of Housing and Urban Development that aims to enable low-income elderly Vermont homeowners to stay in their homes longer and more independently.

The program aims to reduce risk of falling, improve general safety, and increase accessibility through low-cost, low barrier, high impact home modifications. Our Occupational Therapist will meet with each homeowner to assess the home and participant and then create a plan for individualized interventions and home modifications. A Home Modification Technician will then work with the homeowner to implement the recommended modifications.

The Older Adults Home Modification Grant Program serves eligible homeowners in the Vermont towns of Williston, Richmond, Bolton, Hinesburg, Huntington, Jericho and Underhill.

To learn more about this exciting grant program, CLICK HERE.

Summary of Results

ADU Survey conducted in the Spring of 2021

by Jericho’s Affordable Housing Committee

An ADU, or Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), is an additional, small dwelling on an owner's property or an accessory apartment attached to a single-family home, garage or outbuilding. Our Committee wanted to explore ADUs as one method to provide more affordable housing in Jericho. To understand how ADUs serve our community today and how we can make them a more accessible option in the future, we asked Jericho ADU owners and renters to complete a brief survey. This is what we found.

Our survey was completed by 10 owners and 2 renters; representing roughly 15% of ADUs in Jericho. The survey data indicates ADUs in Jericho are primarily:

• intended for long-term rental and/or family use,
• 1-bedroom apartments,
• attached to or within the primary dwelling, and
• rented by adult-only households (rather than families with children)
• for less than $1000/mos

This is substantially below what market rents would be for this area. Fair market rent for Jericho is $1,265 as determined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

While the expense of construction can be a barrier to adding an ADU, most of the owners that completed our survey reported the ADU existed at time of purchase (or had been included in initial construction). The more substantial barriers were navigating permitting and interactions with town officials or the unknown of being a first-time landlord (for example, how to identify good tenants).

NONE of the owners recommended against ADUs. Owners cited additional income and family need as their primary reasons for having an ADU. This endorsement speaks to the feasibility of ADUs, despite the barriers identified. Both renters strongly recommended ADUs as an affordable way to live in Jericho (both have been residents for multiple years).

Our survey supports the notion that ADUs are one way Jericho can attract new residents to our community with affordable housing and have current residents benefit from additional income or the flexibility of multi-generational living. It also suggests that there are already ADUs in Jericho that are not being rented, but would be if:

1. Permitting, regulations, and town officials were easier to navigate and access
2. Resources and answers to frequently asked questions were centralized
3. Residents could be connected with neighbors who currently rent an ADU to share their experiences first-hand

To directly address these needs, the Affordable Housing Committee is developing an ADU portal on the town website. Stay tuned for its launch in the Fall of 2021!

Jericho Affordable Housing Committee

2020-2021 Work Plan

o Presentations from VHFA, CCRPC, VHCB, Habitat, CHT

o Interview local affordable housing officials in neighboring towns—Essex and Richmond still outstanding

o Begin Policy & Regulation review

 ADUs—Obstacles to permitting and construction? How to promote them? Are incentives appropriate?

 Zoning Map—identify new or confirm existing prime areas for affordable housing development and follow up with landowners; review recent development trends and completed projects

 Identify naturally occurring affordable housing in Jericho and explore how we might preserve and protect this affordability

 Identify funding sources for land acquisition or development

 Identify any regulatory obstacles and if reasonable, determine if remedying these would result in real development

 Provide analysis and recommendation for inclusionary zoning

 Provide analysis and recommendation for the creation of a housing trust fund

o As part of the policy and regulatory review, consult with PC on previous testimony and hear from landowners/builders/contractors

o Maintain regular check in with relevant boards and commissions:

Erik—PC

Phyl—DRB

Bob—Selectboard

Peter—Conservation Commission

Participate in development plan review and discussions as these come forward in the near term.

For 2021

o Plan and conduct public forum in Winter/Spring 2021

o Conduct outreach to landowners and developers about affordable housing opportunities in targeted areas

o Plan and conduct online public forum in 2021 if it can be based on specific proposals

o Follow up this forum with recommendations to SB in 2021-2022

o Publish results of survey