The pandemic has made it hard for thousands of Chittenden County residents to pay for housing. Earlier this month, the Vermont Housing Finance Agency resumed offering federal grants to help qualified lower and middle-income homeowners with economic hardship from the pandemic pay back property taxes and mortgage payments. Learn more at www.vhfa.org or by calling (888) 714-2260. For renters and property owners, the Vermont State Housing Agency offers the Vermont Emergency Rental Assistance Program to help with rent and utility expenses. Visit erap.vsha.org or call 833-488-3727.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, 1 in 7 South Burlington residents had monthly housing costs that consumed at least half of their income. When the pandemic hit, income dropped for employees in hard-hit industries and those suddenly needed in the home. Vermont experienced a 7.6% loss in jobs between March 2020 and March 2021, more than any other New England state.