H.678 creates a pilot program to finance 250 new housing units in Washington and Lamoille Counties using municipal debt. The program would be funded by dedicating 100% of property tax increments from municipal or education properties within those counties. This aims to lower rental costs or make homeownership more affordable for new developments. The bill directly affects residents and developers in these two counties by providing a new funding mechanism for housing projects.
H.826 creates the Land Access and Opportunity Board (LAOB) to administer a new Land Access and Opportunity Fund, funded partly by cannabis tax revenue. The bill requires the Department of Taxes to submit an annual affordable housing tax report and establishes a Land Security Working Group. It directs the fund to provide down payment assistance for homeownership (including for farmland access), technical support for BIPOC developers, and grants for community-led housing projects like land trusts. The bill directly affects Vermonters facing housing affordability challenges, particularly disadvantaged communities and people with developmental disabilities, by aiming to expand access to land and housing resources.
This bill requires Vermont municipalities to include detailed housing target analyses in their development plans, identifying needed housing types and sites while addressing zoning and infrastructure constraints. It extends tax credits to help first-time homebuyers with down payments and closing costs for primary residences, and caps mobile home lot rent increases to protect residents. The bill also prevents homeowner associations from banning rentals, family child care homes, or electric vehicle chargers in units. These changes directly affect local governments, homebuyers, mobile home park residents, and community associations.
This bill approves a charter amendment for the Town of Bennington to allow a 1% local tax on non-owner-occupied short-term rental properties (like Airbnb units). It directly affects property owners and businesses renting out vacation homes in Bennington who are not living there full-time. The key provision adds this tax option to the town's charter, enabling voters to approve it through future votes. The tax was previously approved by Bennington voters on March 4, 2025, and this bill formalizes that approval at the state level. The change takes effect immediately upon the bill's passage.
This bill requires Vermont's Department of Housing and Community Development to provide free, online resources to help the public establish collective homeownership models. It mandates the department to create and share practical materials - including guides for organization and conflict resolution, standard templates for cooperative housing articles of incorporation, and templates for tenants-in-common agreements. These resources will be made available in a user-friendly format at no cost to residents, community groups, or potential cooperative housing developers. The bill directly affects anyone seeking to form or manage collective ownership housing arrangements under Vermont law. The requirement takes effect July 1, 2026.
H.790 adjusts specific line items in Vermont's fiscal year 2026 budget, primarily modifying existing funding allocations rather than creating new programs. It increases renter rebate funding from $9.5 million to $11 million (a $1.5 million increase) and decreases homeowner rebate funding from $19 million to $17.5 million (a $1.5 million reduction). The bill also raises legislative counsel funding by $720,000 (from $4.88 million to $5.60 million) and makes minor adjustments to other state agency budgets. These changes directly affect renters and homeowners through rebate program funding levels, while state government operations are impacted through revised budget allocations.
H 509 is an act that approves an amendment to the charter of the City of Winooski. This amendment authorizes the Winooski City Council to adopt an ordinance establishing "just cause" protections for residential tenants against eviction. The ordinance must define specific, allowable reasons for eviction, such as nonpayment of rent or a tenant's material breach of a rental agreement, and explicitly exclude lease expiration as the sole grounds for termination. It also outlines exemptions for certain property types, like owner-occupied duplexes, and requires provisions for tenant protections such as adequate notice and relocation assistance when applicable.
