An act relating to the creation of the Office of the Housing Advocate

This bill creates a new Office of the Housing Advocate within the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development to assist landlords, tenants, and homeowners with housing-related questions and concerns. The office would be run by a nonprofit organization under contract and led by a Chief Housing Advocate who can provide information, referrals, and help with complaints or appeals related to housing services. Key provisions include educating residents on their rights, investigating housing problems, monitoring housing laws, and ensuring confidential handling of complaints while preventing conflicts of interest among staff. The office must submit annual reports to state legislators and other agencies, and all state agencies are required to cooperate with its reasonable requests for information.