Gov. Peter Shumlin announced $4.3 million in grants Wednesday to help small communities build affordable housing, improve public facilities and rebuild in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene.
Shumlin said the awards come just in time for construction season. He said the grants will help ease housing prices for low-income Vermonters and give aid to towns that did not receive enough money from the Federal Emergency Management Administration after the 2011 storm.
“Housing continues to be an extraordinary challenge for many Vermonters,” Shumlin said. “Housing costs are too high. Vacancy rates are too low.”
Representatives from 13 communities came to the governor’s ceremonial office Wednesday to receive the awards.
• Brattleboro, Hinesburg, Lyndon, and Rochester will build 96 affordable housing units, including some for seniors, among their towns using separate grants totaling $2.1 million.
• Athens, Brandon, Chester, Warren, Wilmington, and Westgate Housing, Inc. each received disaster recovery grants totaling about $1.7 million.
• West Rutland’s NeighborWorks of Western Vermont received $850,000 to continue offering financial counseling to low-income Vermonters and maintain their affordable housing revolving loan fund.
• Washington received $75,000 to bring the Calef Memorial Library up to code.
• Barre City received a $19,830 planning grant to help Granite City Coop study opening a grocery store in downtown Barre.
Brandon and Wilmington both sustained extensive damage in their downtowns during Irene. Brandon will use $500,000 to rebuild its town office on U.S. 7 near the Neshobe River and Wilmington will use $300,000 to build 520 feet of sidewalks.
Patricia Moulton, secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, said the money represents partnerships among local, state, and federal governments.
Moulton thanked Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Rep. Peter Welch for helping Vermont get the money through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Program.
