Category Archives: Fair Housing Month

2026 Fair Housing Month – Cue the Curtain Until Next Year

Fair Housing Month

2026 Fair Housing Month has ended but the movement continues. April was filled with community, joy, advocacy, and organizing to celebrate fair housing wins and push fair housing initiatives.

The 2026 Fair Housing Month theme was Fair Housing: No Matter What! to emphasize the endurance of state and federal fair housing laws and to reinforce our duty to take meaningful actions to overcome the legacy of segregation, unequal treatment, and historic lack of access to opportunity in housing.

Members of our Vermont communities are affected by illegal housing discrimination every day. Many instances go unreported and people breaching fair housing laws are often not held accountable. Throughout the month, we celebrated the progress we have made towards addressing historical discrimination while continuing to grieve setbacks and educate our communities about the importance of accessible, equitable, and perpetually affordable housing.

Creative Community Engagement

Throughout Fair Housing Month, we gathered for community art workshops, Fair Housing & Tenant Skills “Know Your Rights” sessions, fair housing trainings for housing providers, a housing book discussion, and community engagement events to educate the general public, housing providers, municipal officials, and service providers about fair housing. We also displayed a 2026 Fair Housing Month Art exhibit at Burlington City Hall titled: “We’re Stronger Together: Celebrating Home & Community” with community collages created by Wharf Lane and Decker Towers residents, along with other community members in partnership with Happy Fantastic Designs and Burlington City Arts and more than 800 HeART & Home art kits were distributed through Vermont libraries and housing sites.

Through our education and outreach, people learn about their rights and obligations under fair housing laws to prevent illegal housing discrimination, remediate discriminatory acts, and help different groups establish best practices to carry out fair housing laws and exercise their rights and responsibilities. We expanded these efforts all month long during Fair Housing Month.

At the Statehouse

On April 1st, the Vermont Human Rights Commission and the Fair Housing Project organized Fair Housing Awareness Day at the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier. We provided fair housing resources and information about illegal housing discrimination, gave testimony about the importance of fair housing practices and enforcement, and engaged in discussions about how we see an increase in illegal housing discrimination as Vermonters navigate the current tight and expensive housing market. A Revolutionary Press was on site making bookmarks with hand-set type and on a hand-operated letterpress for legislators, statehouse staff, and visitors. Kahlia Livingston, Fair Housing Project Education & Outreach Coordinator and Jess Hyman Associate Director of CVOEO’s Housing Advocacy Programs delivered testimony alongside Big Hartman, Executive Director of the Vermont Human Rights Commission in a joint hearing of the House Committee on General and Housing and Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs. Vermont Governor Phil Scott issued a statewide proclamation in support of the implementation of fair housing laws and their enforcement.

 Stories of Home

On April 3rd, we hosted “Stories of Home” as the annual kickoff event to celebrate Fair Housing Month. This community-centered event featured local storytellers shared personal and inspiring narratives about what home means to them and the event was beautifully emceed by Ferene Paris, Founder of All Heart Inspirations. Ferene creates heart-centered spaces through courageous truth-telling, live storytelling, and community engagement rooted in culture, connection, and love. CCTV covered this event and the storytelling programming can be viewed here. We are grateful for our Fair Housing Month Sponsors and partners, with special thanks to the Land Access & Opportunity Board, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, All Heart Inspirations, Zero Gravity, Prohibition Pig, Vermont Wine Merchants, Stefano’s Rustic North Country Italian, and Seven Days for making this event possible.

 Fair Housing Fridays

The Fair Housing Friday Webinar Series resumed this year with three new webinars featuring interviews with housing experts around the state hosted by Kahlia Livingston. The series included topics on environmental justice and how it promotes fair housing, fair housing litigation, and ethical real-estate practices. We discussed how state laws intersect with fair housing, how fair housing laws are enforced, and how housing service providers can best support Vermonters’ housing needs by approaching their work through a fair housing lens. All interviews are available for viewing here and the descriptions are available below:

  • “Environmental Justice and the Future of Housing Development” – Watch this interview with Grace Vinson from the Community Development Program (VCDP). In this conversation we discuss how the provisions of the Environmental Justice Act are being incorporated into state decision-making and interagency collaboration. Click Here to Watch!
  • “Justice in Practice – A Conversation About Fair Housing Litigation” – Watch this interview for a thoughtful conversation with Attorney Big Hartman, Executive Director of the Vermont Human Rights Commission who discusses what happens when housing discrimination cases land in court. We explored the realities of litigating fair housing complaints- how cases develop, what the process looks like, and what outcomes mean for the people involved. Additionally, we examined how enforcement, accountability, and resolution contribute to civil rights in housing. Viewers will gain insight into legal tools that support fair housing protections and the broader impact these cases can have on communities, policy, and case law. Click Here to Watch!
  • “Beyond the Sale – Ethical Real Estate and the Power of Fair Housing” – Watch this interview to see a candid conversation with Jess Bridge, a real estate professional who prioritizes ethics, transparency, and fairness in every transaction. In this webinar, we explored how realtors can actively support fair housing laws while building trust with clients and communities. Through real-world examples and practical insights, our guest shared how ethical practices shape their day-to-day work with buyers and sellers. Whether you’re a housing advocate, service provider, or simply interested in fair housing practices, this discussion will highlight what responsible property professionals can do to promote fairness in the market. Click Here to Watch!

Housing Action Summit

 We wrapped up Fair Housing Month with additional events in collaboration with essential key partners. On April 25th, CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project held “From Housing Justice to Civic Power: A Vermont Action Summit” in partnership with National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Our Homes Our Votes Campaign. This dynamic civic engagement event included a panel discussion with Decker Towers Tenant Leader David Foss, Rev. Mark Hughes of the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance, Lindsay St. Amour of Disability Rights Vermont, State Rep. Saudia LaMont, and Alex Karambelas of ACLU-VT moderated by Tia Turner of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Panelists discussed the intersection of housing justice and civic engagement, explored current threats to voting access, lived experiences in Vermont communities, and opportunities to build civic power rooted in housing justice. Following the panel discussion, participants attended interactive action labs on Policy Rapid Response, Tenant Power & Storytelling, Building Local Civic Engagement, and Housing Justice & Voter Access. Each group examined tools for organizing, advocating, and building power in communities and developed action plans for next steps in their communities and individual lives. The summit concluded with remarks by Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky, and a voter registration drive supported by the Vermont League of Women Voters, Burlington Board of Voter Registration, and the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office. The recording of the event can be viewed here.

On April 30th, Attorney Rachel Batterson from Vermont Legal Aid’s Housing Discrimination Law Project and Kahlia Livingston from CVOEO, partnered with Northwest Vermont Realtor Association (NVRA) to hold an interactive activity to examine the difficulties of housing development when exclusionary zoning practices and NIMBYism hinder projects from moving forward.

As this year’s fair housing month adjourns, we extend thanks to our partners, sponsors, webinar guests, residents of Decker Towers and Wharf Lane, and all facilitators of fair housing month events and the participants who attended. We greatly appreciate everyone who requested Art Kits that include the HeART & Home prompts, and those of you who reached out to share your completed art pieces, and housing events to be included on the fairhousingmonthvt.org website. April was filled with fair housing-centered community-building, storytelling, education, policy advocacy, art-making, and fulfilling activities with residents all throughout the state. We hope that these events have increased awareness and passion to achieve housing justice and we’re looking forward to upcoming collaboration and fair housing efforts for the rest of the year. Stay updated with Fair Housing news and events by following our thriving communities social media pages on Facebook, and Instagram (@thrivingcommunitiesvt). Connect with us on social media or send us an email at fhp@cvoeo.org.

BIG THANKS to our Partners and Sponsors

CVOEO coordinates April Fair Housing Month activities in collaboration with a statewide network of housing, community, and arts partners, including Vermont Human Rights Commission, Vermont Humanities, Housing & Homelessness Alliance of Vermont, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, All Heart Inspirations, Happy Fantastic Designs, Vermont Racial Justice Alliance, Disability Rights Vermont, Rights & Democracy, National Low Income Housing  Coalition (NLIHC), Vermont Department of Libraries, Vermont Legal Aid, ACLU of Vermont, Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington City Arts, A Revolutionary Press, Windham and Windsor Housing Trust, and Northwest Vermont REALTOR® Association.

2026 activities were made possible through the generous sponsorship of Champlain Housing Trust, Northwest Vermont REALTOR Association, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Land Access & Opportunity Board, Vermont State Housing Authority, Burlington Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, Let’s Build Homes, Redstone, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, Cathedral Square, Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, Evernorth, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Main Street Landing, Vermont Wine Merchants, Prohibition Pig, and Zero Gravity with media sponsorship from Seven Days.

 

Thank You for Another Successful Fair Housing Month

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We couldn’t be more grateful for the conversations we had throughout Fair Housing Month in April. We talked about how public spaces contribute to the sense of belonging, how we can reach a wider audience through creative forms of community engagement, the ways opportunities for resident feedback in how we shape our home & community spaces can foster a sense of agency– and so much more. We received countless responses to our HeART & Home Art prompts, illustrating how we each think of home, so much more than the shelter-structure. We have enjoyed seeing you in parks, laundromats, statewide calls in the digital space, breweries, in passing in our hallways and on our sidewalks. And we also appreciate the quiet listeners, tuning in from your work day when you can, sharing the events and activities in your communities.

Each year, our work grows

Each year, the network of Fair Housing Month partners grows, allowing this work to reach more people across the state. Almost 200 people participated in the CVOEO lead workshops, community conversations, Fair Housing Friday discussions, art events, and countless other educational activities, and hundreds more were engaged by partners across the state. We distributed more than 1,100 HeART & Home Art kits to invite reflection on the foundation that home provides to all of our lives, and how important it is to have agency in our home-space to accommodate our unique, individual ways of living.

These activities went far beyond the basics of fair housing and included discussion on ways to make our towns and cities more welcoming, issues related to housing access and homelessness, and how to address community housing needs. 

Here are a couple of highlights that were recorded:

  • The  Community Day of Action press event included compelling explanations about the connection between green space, equity, and a sense of community. You can watch the recording here  (also linked above!)
  • The Vocabulary of Home conversation at Contois Auditorium highlighted the importance of talking about affordable housing from the lens of “home,” and the voices of the people who live there. CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project joined Burlington’s Special Assistant to End Homelessness Sarah Russell at Contois Auditorium for a discussion on how we talk about housing and homelessness. Wearing both her “housing hat” and “artist hat,”  CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project’s Corrine Yonce used images from her public art, lessons from the HeART & Home art responses, and anecdotes from residents in affordable housing to highlight the complexities in our housing language.  You can watch that recording here.
  • We had another round of stellar Fair Housing Friday discussions, featuring voices of resident engagement coordinators, affordable housing residents, community artists, media makers and organizers, city planners, advocates– and more! These are out-of-the-box creative discussions about the state’s housing needs, avenues for directly involving the people living in affordable housing, and how we think about home and community as a state. You can find those recordings, along with a archive of past Fair Housing Fridays, here.
  • We hosted an art opening at King St Laundry as part of a public art series, where we talked about the role public art plays in furthering equality in our housing landscape, and how public spaces can act as an extension of our homes.
  • One rainy Saturday evening, CVOEO Fair Housing Project, along with the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition and Main Street Landing, closed out a month of activities with a housing social followed by the film The Pursuit of Happyness. 

An Abundance of Gratitude

We want to give a special shout out to the Fair Housing Friday guest panelists:

Meaghan Tedder, of Evernorth Housing, Will Condry and Jennifer Herrera Condry  of Juniper Creative Arts, Sal Millichamp, of Laurentide – thank you for sharing your insights on how we can engage the people we house in their shared and private spaces. 
  • This was a rich conversation between community artists, resident service providers, and residents living in affordable housing, with specific insight on not just how to engage residents in the design of their home spaces, but how resident feedback can make our work as housing providers more efficient. You can find the recording here.
Jordyn Fitch & Maeve Littau of Junction Arts Media – thank you for sharing your documentary, your voice and your perspective on this topic! Your work documenting the housing landscape in Connecticut River Valley region comes a critical time to listen to the people most impact by our housing shortage. 
  • Jordyn and Maeve’s shared unique perspective comes in the midst of a string of housing events hosted by Junction Arts and Media, including a documentary screening of Racist Trees and an art exhibit, Redlining Our Souls. Learn more here.  You can catch their Fair Housing Friday discussion here.
To John Haffner of Vital Communities, and Meagan Tuttle & Sarah Morgan of the Burlington Office of City Planning, and Beth Whitlock representing Hinesburg Housing Committee – thank you for sharing how the ways we talk about housing can inform the ways communities think about and engage with housing, and for introducing tools to expand our housing vocabulary.
  • The panelists covered a lot of ground related to this topic, from the ways assumptions about “Vermont communities” may limit us from meeting our housing needs to the surprising ways Vermont downtown centers historically met many of the smart growth goals we strive for today.  You can find the full recording here.

We also want to extend our deepest gratitude to our Fair Housing Month partners, including Vital Communities and the White River Valley Consortium for bringing Fair Housing education and HeART & Home art kits to welcome in new members of the Rochester community, and to the Home Creators Expo. We thank all the libraries who hosted workshops, art activities, and educational information, and the Vermont Department of Libraries for connecting us to these incredible resources across the state. Thank you to Junction Arts & Media, Randolph Area Community Development, RuralEdge, Vermont LegalAid, CEDO, ONE Arts, Vermont Human Rights Commission, the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, Burlington REIB and the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition for helping us reach as many Vermonters as we can with our Fair Housing Month programming.

And a huge thank you to all of our sponsors: Champlain Housing Trust, Cathedral Square, Evernorth, Farrell Properties, Main Street Landing, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Pomerleau Real Estate, Redstone, Vermont State Housing Authority, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, and Vermont Housing Finance Agency

The work is Far From Over

Finally, we remind ourselves that this work is far from over. Fair Housing Month activities wrapped up in advance of 1,800 Vermonter facing imminent displacement, 600 of whom are children, many of whom have serious health requirements – like access to ventilation equipment and regular nursing needs – many of whom are fleeing domestic violence, and who disproportionately represent the members of our community traditionally denied equal opportunity to housing. Renters face rising rent costs despite wages not growing in proportion, in the midst of an unprecedented housing shortage. Black and Brown Vermonters continue to rely on rental housing at a far greater rate than white Vermonters, who are also privileged with greater access to home ownership. Renters are not afforded Just Cause eviction protections in most of the state, and more than half of renters are cost burdened by their rental cost, thus resigned to a sense of precarity. Our dire housing landscapes calls us to continue to have these conversations, which outline creative, innovative, and new ways to address a growing problem.

Join us for the last week of Fair Housing Month events!

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It’s been a busy and fun month so far with thought-provoking Fair Housing Friday webinars, community Know Your Rights workshops, more than 1,000 art kits distributed through libraries and housing sites across the state, and more. We’re also collaborating with the City of Burlington’s Community & Economic Development Office to distribute more art kits, along with free books on issues of housing and homelessness.

Yesterday’s Fair Housing Month event at Champlain Street Park in Burlington combined park clean-up, art, and neighborhood connections with inspiring words about housing equity, environmental justice, and community from CVOEO, Burlington’s Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion & Belonging and Parks & Recreation Department, and reps from our congressional delegation. See some of the news coverage here: https://www.mynbc5.com/article/burlington-community-members-clean-up-parks-to-help-promote-equitable-housing/43647899

Also yesterday, a sweet HeART & Home activity hosted by the Groton Public Library and RuralEdge brought together a small group of elementary school students and seniors to make art related to home and community.

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Here’s a sampling of what’s coming up next – please join us!

  • THURSDAY 4/20 is a conversation about the connections between public spaces, art, and home at the opening reception for CVOEO Fair Housing Project staffer and artist Corrine Yonce’s “Longing Is Just a Word for Knowing” exhibit at King Street Laundromat, 3-6pm at 72 King St.
  • FRIDAY 4/21 is the last Fair Housing Friday webinar, Visions of Home: Broadening the Way We Envision Home and Community, 12:30-1:30pm via Zoom. REGISTER HERE
  • NEXT WEEK, there will be two more in-person events in Burlington:
  • PARTNER EVENTS ALL OVER VERMONT – Details at https://fairhousingmonthvt.org/event-calendar:
    • Friday 4/21: Fair Housing Feedback at Bradford Public Library with DHCD
    • Friday 4/21: Homes for Hartford Paint & Sip hosted by Junction Arts & Media
    • Monday 4/24: Bellows Falls Garage Affordable Housing Opening with Windham & Windsor Housing Trust
    • Tuesday 4/25: HeART & Home Exhibit Reception at Bent Northrop Library in Fairfield
    • Wednesday 4/26: Finding Home Drop-in Watercolor at South Burlington Public Library with Art Show Reception Saturday 4/29
    • Friday 4/28: Fair Housing Feedback at Brownell Library in Essex with DHCD.
    • Saturday 4/29: BIPOC Centered Homebuyer Group with The Root and Windham & Windsor Housing Trust
    • Wednesday 5/3: Affordable Housing Discussion inspired by the book Fixer Upper: How to Repair America’s Broken Housing  System hosted by South Burlington Public Library, South Burlington Affordable Housing Committee, and CVOEO
    • Wednesday 5/3: Fair Housing Feedback at Bennington Free Library with DHCD.
About Fair Housing Month 

Each April we celebrate the 1968 passage of the Fair Housing Act with a series of free public education and art events to raise awareness about the importance of equal access to housing, free from discrimination, and the positive role that inclusive, affordable housing plays in thriving communities. Virtual and in-person activities include workshops, community discussions, presentations, library events, and the all-ages HeART & Home Community Art Project. 

Fair Housing is the right to equal opportunity in housing choice and the right to rent or buy a dwelling free from discrimination. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and family status. Vermont has additional protections based on age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, receipt of public assistance, being a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and denial of development permitting based on the income of prospective residents. For more information about fair housing in Vermont, visit www.cvoeo.org/FHP or email fhp@cvoeo.org.

The Fair Housing Project of CVOEO coordinates April Fair Housing Month activities in collaboration with a statewide network of housing, community, and arts partners, including Burlington City Arts, Burlington Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO), Burlington Office of Racial Equity Inclusion and Belonging (REIB), Junction Arts Media, ONE Arts, Randolph Community Development Corporation, RuralEdge, Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, Vermont Department of Libraries, Vermont Human Rights Commission, Vermont Legal Aid, Vital Communities, and White River Valley Consortium. These activities are made possible through the generous sponsorship of Farrell Properties, CEDO, REIB, Champlain Housing Trust, Redstone,  Vermont State Housing Authority, Evernorth, Main Street Landing, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, Cathedral Square, and Pomerleau Real Estate.

 

April is Fair Housing Month – Statewide Events Celebrate Home & Community!

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Each April we celebrate the 1968 passage of the Fair Housing Act with a series of free public education and art events to raise awareness about the importance of equal access to housing, free from discrimination, and the positive role that inclusive, affordable housing plays in thriving communities. Virtual and in-person activities include workshops, community discussions, presentations, library events, and the all-ages HeART & Home Community Art Project.

Here’s a sampling of this year’s statewide events. For full schedule and details visit https://fairhousingmonthvt.org/event-calendar.

  • BURLINGTON IN-PERSON EVENTS: Champlain Street Park Community Action Day 11am-2pm April 19 – park clean up, activities and lunch; “Longing Is Just a Word for Knowing” – art opening, conversation, refreshments 3-6pm April 20; “Vocabulary of Home: A Conversation on How We Talk About Housing”- 6-7:30pm April 26; Main Street Landing movie night, April 28.
  • EXHIBITS: “Redlining Our Souls” at Junction Arts Media in White River Junction, “Home and How We Make It” at River Arts in Morrisville, “Longing Is Just a Word for Knowing” at King Street Laundry in Burlington, and a Fair Housing Month display at Burlington City Hall.
  • FAIR HOUSING FRIDAYS: Informational, interactive sessions hosted by the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO with guests from communities and organizations around the state, 12:30pm, April 7, 14, and 21 via Zoom.
  • TENANTS RIGHTS & FAIR HOUSING WORKSHOPS: Opportunities for the general public, housing and service providers, landlords, and others to learn about fair housing and renters’ rights and responsibilities and discuss current issues. In-person and virtual sessions in Burlington, Groton, Lyndonville, South Burlington, Winooski, and White River Junction.
  • LIBRARY ACTIVITIES: Book discussions, StoryWalks®, art activities, Fair Housing drop-in sessions with the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, and other community events at participating libraries all over the state in partnership with the VT Department of Libraries.
  • HeART & HOME COMMUNITY ART PROJECT: Art activities and exhibits at libraries and housing and community sites. It’s easy to join this all-ages art project! 1) Pick up an art kit at CVOEO or participating sites or download the creative prompts and use your own materials; 2) Create a drawing, collage, painting, photo, sculpture, comic, or any other type of art; and 3) Share a photo of your creation to be added to the online community gallery and be entered in a prize drawing. Send photos to fhp@cvoeo.org.

Fair Housing is the right to equal opportunity in housing choice and the right to rent or buy a dwelling free from discrimination. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and family status. Vermont has additional protections based on age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, receipt of public assistance, being a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and denial of development permitting based on the income of prospective residents.

For more information about fair housing in Vermont, visit www.cvoeo.org/FHP or email fhp@cvoeo.org.

The Fair Housing Project of CVOEO coordinates April Fair Housing Month activities in collaboration with a statewide network of housing, community, and arts partners, including Burlington City Arts, Burlington Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO), Burlington Office of Racial Equity Inclusion and Belonging (REIB), Junction Arts Media, ONE Arts, Randolph Community Development Corporation, RuralEdge, Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, Vermont Department of Libraries, Vermont Human Rights Commission, Vermont Legal Aid, Vital Communities, and White River Valley Consortium. These activities are made possible through the generous sponsorship of Farrell Properties, CEDO, REIB, Champlain Housing Trust, Redstone,  Vermont State Housing Authority, Evernorth, Main Street Landing, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, Cathedral Square, and Pomerleau Real Estate.

CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project Visits the Bent Northrop Memorial Library HeART & Home Exhibit

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After an incredible month of Fair Housing activities and sending out almost 1,000 HeART & Home Art Kits, the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO visited the Bent Northrop Memorial Library in Fairfield to see the community’s HeART & Home exhibit. 

In recent years, CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project has expanded the reach for Fair Housing Month activities through a partnership with the Vermont Department of Libraries (VTLIB). This year, thanks to funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, VTLIB helped expand the HeART & Home Community Art project, which engages artists of all ages through guided Fair Housing art prompts and reflections questions.

The Bent Northrop Memorial Library rose to the occasion with its own HeART & Home student art exhibition. As part of the Working Communities Challenge’s Northwest Collaborative, the library partnered with the Fairfield Center School and the Northwest Regional Planning Commission to participate in the community art project. More than 50 pieces of art were displayed at the library. You can still catch the exhibition for a short time!

Especially as we adjust to the changing realities of COVID-19, we are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to see Fair Housing Month participants in person. In this unique exhibit, we observed how the third- and fourth-grade students of Fairfield Center School carried different interpretations of what home meant to them, from sharing bedroom floor plans, to windows overlooking their yard or neighborhood, fireplaces, pets, rolling hills, barns, and more. It’s clear that home is an unique and special place to each person. 

The Bent Northrop Memorial Library exhibition captures the core of the HeART & Home project – home is a dynamic and very personal place, too complex to capture within a single person’s experience, but essential to each person’s self-expression.

Bent Northrop Memorial Library Director Sarah Allerton with the Fairfield Center School students’ HeART & Home art.

Fair Housing Friday: “Is Building More the Cure?”

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Our last #FairHousingFriday of Fair Housing Month 2022 left us with a lot to consider. Featuring Bor Yang, Executive Director of the VT Human Rights Commission; Owiso Makuku, CEO of Main Street Landing and VT Affordable Housing Coalition Steering Committee Member; and Elizabeth Bridgewater, Executive Director of Windham & Windsor Housing Trust, we discussed how relying on development alone won’t ensure housing opportunities for the communities with the greatest housing needs in Vermont. This conversation highlighted how housing opportunities are not equally accessible to all low-income Vermonters and presenters shared tools and policy ideas that could be considered to ensure housing equity and housing opportunities for our most vulnerable Vermonters

We heard from panelists about how climate migration – still lead predominately by people with the resources to move- is already impacting housing opportunities for potential first-time home buyers across the state, especially in Southern Vermont. We also heard about how employers are taking on the burden of finding housing for their employees in an effort to meet their workforce needs. Of the tools listed to further equitable housing opportunities, panelists pointed to zoning reforms like inclusionary zoning policies, critical looks at minimum lot sizes and how that curbs what kind of housing is developed, and allowing for more multi-family housing such as duplexed, triplexes, and larger apartment developments. Also highlighted was the need to modernize municipal bylaws that could inadvertently be posing barriers to developing in communities across Vermont.

Unfortunately, audience members are left with the knowledge that often it is the vocal minority that gets in the way of developing new affordable housing, and that housing discrimination continues to impact communities of color, new Americans, folks with disabilities, and renters with children on a wide scale. And discrimination is challenging to track as it is so hard to report, and those with the greatest housing needs may not know their rights, but often are so taxed by trying to meet their own housing needs that they are unable to report the discrimination they face. We are left with the with the responsibility to mobilize in our own communities to consider our regional housing equity gaps, and advocate for policies that not only encourage more housing development, but ensures that housing meets the needs of our community members who are most often overlooked and left behind from the housing conversation.

If you missed it, find the full recording below: 

Resources shared as a part of this Fair Housing Friday:

To learn more about Fair Housing Month and upcoming activities: https://fairhousingmonthvt.org/

To learn more and get help: https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/fair-housing-and-discrimination

Our free Vermont Tenants workshops:
https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/vermont-tenants-rights-and-resources

More information about the Human Rights Commission:
https://hrc.vermont.gov/

Vermont Housing Finance Agency on Home Ownership for BIPOC Vermonters https://vhfa.org/news/blog/future-strategies-promote-homeownership-opportunity-bipoc-vermonters

Vermont Housing Finance Agency on Understanding VT’s Vacant Homes: https://vhfa.org/news/blog/future-strategies-promote-homeownership-opportunity-bipoc-vermonters

Bylaw Mondernization Grants : https://accd.vermont.gov/content/bylaw-modernization-grants

Conversation with Elizabeth Bridgewater and Gus Seelig Addressing the Roots of Our Current Housing Crisis : https://vtdigger.org/2022/04/17/vermont-conversation-the-roots-and-way-out-of-vermonts-housing-crisis/

Stay tuned for our Fair Housing Month wrap up, and remember, these conversation MUST continue throughout the year. Thank you for joining us, and please stay in touch.

Fair Housing Friday: “Unique Challenges and Opportunities of Mobile Home Parks”

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Our second #FairHousingFriday of the month was a fantastic hit! Hosted by Nate Lantieri of CVOEO’s Mobile Home Program, panelists included Kelly Hamshaw, Senior Lecturer at UVM Dept. of Community Development & Applied Economics; Gayle Pezzo, Board President of Westbury Homeowners Association; and Elise Shanbacker, ED of Addison County Community Trust.

Panelists covered a extensive array of topics in a short amount of time, from the challenges of financing infrastructure updates for mobile home communities, the challenges community members encounter with funding basic park maintenance such a plowing, and the unique ways mobile home communities are impacted by climate change.

We ended on a powerful message from Gayle Pezzo, Board President of the Westbury Homeowners Association in Colchester, VT. Gayle spoke to the ways a mobile home community uniquely met her needs as a retired, single person, and how joining the Westbury Homeowners Association board necessitated a level of civic engagement she did not anticipate as she advocated for her community to access municipal resources. At the conclusion of the conversation, Gayle pointed out the shift in language from “trailer park” to “mobile home community” had a powerful impact on the way mobile home communities are viewed, and her own connection to her neighborhood.

If you missed it, find the full recording below: 

Resources shared as a part of this Fair Housing Friday:

To learn more about Fair Housing Month and upcoming activities: https://fairhousingmonthvt.org/

To learn more and get help: https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/fair-housing-and-discrimination

Our free Vermont Tenants workshops:
https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/vermont-tenants-rights-and-resources

Resources available from USDA Rural Development here in Vermont : https://www.rd.usda.gov/vt

More resources for Mobile Home Parks through CVOEO: https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/mobile-home-park-rights-and-resources

The Cooperative Development Institute (CDI) : https://cdi.coop/

Do NOT Miss Our Final Fair Housing Friday!

Friday, April April 29th 12:30 – 1:30 PM: “Is Building More the Cure?”

In this final Fair Housing Friday for Fair Housing Month, we will discuss how relying on development alone won’t ensure housing opportunities for the communities with the greatest housing needs in Vermont. Featuring Bor Yang, Executive Director of the VT Human Rights Commission; Owiso Makuku, CEO of Main Street Landing and VT Affordable Housing Coalition Steering Committee Member; and Elizabeth Bridgewater, Executive Director of Windham & Windsor Housing Trust.

And coming up this week:

  • Arts So Wonderful Art opening at the South Burlington University Mall! Friday April 29th from 4pm to 7 pm, or alternative dates at request. Read the full Call to Artists here

TONIGHT – Tuesday, April 26th:

Throughout the month of April:

Fair Housing Friday: “Why Aren’t We Building the Housing We Need?”

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Our first #FairHousingFriday of the month happened last week! Featuring Katherine “Deac” Decarreau, Executive Director of the Winooski Housing Authority, Nate Besio, Peer Advocate Counselor Coordinator at Vermont Center for Independent Living, Carol Jaramillo, Community Builder Northgate Apartments, and Bhagawat Pudyel from the Financial Futures Community Ambassador Program at CVOEO, this conversation focused on the barriers to housing development, what kind of housing we are building, and why (or why not) the housing we are developing meets the needs of our most vulnerable community members.

In this rich conversation on housing, we heard about barriers our current available housing poses to folks who fall into Fair Housing protected classes, such as families who rent, folks with mobility needs, and New Americans. We also discussed solutions advocates would like to see implemented, like housing opportunities for folks who are recovering from addiction and not yet ready to live independently, and creative affordable housing solutions that fit the unique needs of the neighborhood. We also talked about tools, such as inclusionary zoning, that municipalities, like Burlington, use to incentive affordable housing, but rules that disincentive developing housing that the community needs, such as 3+ bedroom apartments.

Join Us for Our Next Fair Housing Fridays!

If you missed it last weeks’, you can find our full recording below. 

Resources shared as a part of this Fair Housing Friday:

To learn more about Fair Housing Month and upcoming activities: https://fairhousingmonthvt.org/
To learn more and get help: https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/fair-housing-and-discrimination
A finding housing resource: https://www.housingdata.org/find-rental-housing (you can search specifically for accessible units)

Home Access Grant Program, funding available for reasonable modifications: https://vcil.org/services/home-access-program/

And coming up this week:

Throughout the month of April: