The Housing Coalition of Southeastern Vermont will host a free, virtual Landlord Summit on Thursday, June 24th from 8:00 am to 9:30 am. People interested in attending can register at tinyurl.com/93ruu7tk.
The purpose of the Landlord Summit is to educate residential property owners about available financial resources and new housing policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly new opportunities connected with the recently-passed American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). These resources include mortgage assistance, rental assistance, and an anticipated second round of the grants for rental property rehabilitation. The Summit will also include an update from the Town of Brattleboro on recent changes to zoning policies designed to promote development of new rental units.
“We know that property owners and tenants alike continue to struggle from the financial impacts of the pandemic,” said Joshua Davis, Coalition Co-Chair and Executive Director of Groundworks Collaborative. “We want to get critical information out to landlords that can help them stabilize their finances while also avoiding the eviction process.”
Summit presenters will include Shaun Gilpin from Vermont’s Department of Housing and Community Development, Sue Fillion from the Town of Brattleboro, and Tyler Maas from the Vermont State Housing Authority, as well as local program administrators.
The event will also feature Brattleboro property owner, George Perides, who will share about his successful experience with the rental Re-Housing Recovery grant program. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions about these programs of State, town, and housing nonprofit representatives.
“In addition to sharing very practical information about these programs, we want to highlight the State’s creativity in using ARPA funds to increase the size and quality of Vermont’s housing stock,” continued Davis. “Our housing shortage is a crisis and these programs represent a great opportunity for property owners to get more involved in helping address the shortage.”
The Housing Coalition of Southeastern Vermont works to address and prevent homelessness in southeastern Vermont. The Coalition serves the towns of Athens, Brattleboro, Brookline, Dummerston, Dover, Guilford, Halifax, Jamaica, Marlboro, Newfane, Putney, Somerset, Stratton, Townshend, Vernon, Wardsboro, Westminster, Whitingham, and Wilmington. The Coalition meets on the second Tuesday of each month from 3pm to 4:30pm, with meetings currently on Zoom. Membership is open to nonprofits, towns, civic organizations, and businesses. Guests are welcome at Coalition meetings. For more information or to contact the Coalition, contact Sue Graff at sue.graff@vermont.gov.
