Right now, our state is in a housing crisis. Amid the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vermonters are struggling to meet their families’ basic needs.
- Roughly half of renters and over a quarter of homeowners are cost burdened – spending more than 30% of their income on housing.
- People of color and low-income households are disproportionately impacted by the high energy costs of heating substandard and energy inefficient housing.
- Increasing numbers of Vermonters are at risk of housing insecurity because of job losses related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Building weatherization and energy efficiency measures are proven strategies that not only increase housing affordability and improve the health and well being of occupants, but provide local, high quality union jobs that would stimulate our state’s economy.
Rights & Democracy and the Vermont Renews Coalition are working to advance housing justice across Vermont. We currently support an initiative, in which the state would provide green housing retrofits, including rooftop solar installation, to income qualifying homes. Updating Vermont’s aging housing stock would:
- support an equitable transition to a zero-carbon building sector by 2040;
- employ VT unionized workforce, which includes workforce development programs and training;
- prioritize households with annual incomes of less than $50,000;
- seek to create a progressive pay structure, ensuring affordable energy costs for Vermonters.
Housing is a basic need.
We are working to ensure that everyone in Vermont is guaranteed affordable, safe, equitable, and healthy housing. Please join us.