| 1 | 1 | | BILL AS INTRODUCED H.439 |
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| 2 | 2 | | 2025 Page 1 of 7 |
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| 5 | 5 | | VT LEG #381052 v.1 |
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| 6 | 6 | | H.439 1 |
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| 7 | 7 | | Introduced by Representative Logan of Burlington 2 |
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| 8 | 8 | | Referred to Committee on 3 |
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| 9 | 9 | | Date: 4 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Subject: Conservation and development; community development; housing; 5 |
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| 11 | 11 | | home repair 6 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to create the 7 |
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| 13 | 13 | | Whole Home Repairs Program within the Department of Housing and 8 |
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| 14 | 14 | | Community Development in order to provide funding to address habitability 9 |
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| 15 | 15 | | concerns, to improve energy or water efficiency, or to make a dwelling 10 |
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| 16 | 16 | | accessible for individuals with disabilities. 11 |
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| 17 | 17 | | An act relating to the creation of the Whole Home Repairs Program 12 |
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| 18 | 18 | | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 13 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Sec. 1. 10 V.S.A. § 700 is added to read: 14 |
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| 20 | 20 | | § 700. VERMONT WHOLE HOME REPAIRS PROGRAM 15 |
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| 21 | 21 | | (a) Creation of Program. 16 |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) The Department of Housing and Community Development shall 17 |
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| 23 | 23 | | design and implement the Vermont Whole Home Repairs Program, through 18 |
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| 24 | 24 | | which the Department shall award funding to statewide or regional nonprofit 19 |
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| 25 | 25 | | housing organizations, or both, to provide competitive grants and forgivable 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.439 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 2025 Page 2 of 7 |
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| 27 | 27 | | |
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| 28 | 28 | | |
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| 29 | 29 | | VT LEG #381052 v.1 |
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| 30 | 30 | | loans to homeowners and private landlords to address habitability concerns 1 |
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| 31 | 31 | | within a residential dwelling unit, including energy or water efficiency or to 2 |
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| 32 | 32 | | make the dwelling accessible for individuals with disabilities. 3 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) The Department shall develop statewide standards for the Program, 4 |
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| 34 | 34 | | including factors that partner organizations shall use to evaluate applications 5 |
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| 35 | 35 | | and award grants and forgivable loans. 6 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (3) A landlord shall not offer a unit created through the Program as a 7 |
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| 37 | 37 | | short-term rental, as defined in 18 V.S.A. § 4301, for the period a grant or loan 8 |
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| 38 | 38 | | agreement is in effect. 9 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (4) The Department may utilize a reasonable percentage, up to a cap of 10 |
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| 40 | 40 | | five percent, of appropriations made to the Department for the Program to 11 |
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| 41 | 41 | | administer the Program. 12 |
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| 42 | 42 | | (5) The Department may cooperate with and subgrant funds to State 13 |
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| 43 | 43 | | agencies and governmental subdivisions and public and private organizations 14 |
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| 44 | 44 | | in order to carry out the purposes of this subsection. 15 |
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| 45 | 45 | | (b) Administration. 16 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (1) The Department shall require a housing organization that receives 17 |
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| 47 | 47 | | funding under the Program to adopt: 18 |
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| 48 | 48 | | (A) a standard application form that describes the application process 19 |
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| 49 | 49 | | and includes instructions and examples to help landlords apply; 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.439 |
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| 50 | 50 | | 2025 Page 3 of 7 |
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| 51 | 51 | | |
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| 52 | 52 | | |
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| 53 | 53 | | VT LEG #381052 v.1 |
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| 54 | 54 | | (B) an award process that ensures equitable selection of landlords, 1 |
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| 55 | 55 | | subject to a housing organization’s exercise of discretion based on the factors 2 |
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| 56 | 56 | | adopted by the Department pursuant to subsection (a) of this section; 3 |
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| 57 | 57 | | (C) a grant and loan management system that ensures accountability 4 |
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| 58 | 58 | | for funds awarded and provides effective outcome reporting for Program 5 |
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| 59 | 59 | | evaluation; 6 |
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| 60 | 60 | | (D) technical assistance and case management services for 7 |
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| 61 | 61 | | homeowners, renters, and landlords, including the ability to coordinate across 8 |
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| 62 | 62 | | existing home repair programs; and 9 |
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| 63 | 63 | | (E) a referral program, where appropriate, to an organization 10 |
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| 64 | 64 | | providing legal services to individuals with low-income; a designated or 11 |
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| 65 | 65 | | specialized service agency; or a medical or social service provider serving 12 |
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| 66 | 66 | | individuals with low-income. 13 |
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| 67 | 67 | | (2) Housing organizations that receive funding under this Program shall 14 |
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| 68 | 68 | | partner with employers and organizations that administer workforce 15 |
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| 69 | 69 | | development programs that will connect trainees to jobs through committed 16 |
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| 70 | 70 | | employer partnerships related to improving the habitability and performance of 17 |
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| 71 | 71 | | homes that may include: 18 |
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| 72 | 72 | | (A) cash stipends for trainees; and 19 |
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| 73 | 73 | | (B) costs related to the design and implementation of pre-20 |
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| 74 | 74 | | apprenticeship, apprenticeship, and on-the-job training programs. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.439 |
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| 75 | 75 | | 2025 Page 4 of 7 |
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| 76 | 76 | | |
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| 77 | 77 | | |
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| 78 | 78 | | VT LEG #381052 v.1 |
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| 79 | 79 | | (c) Program requirements applicable to grants and loans. 1 |
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| 80 | 80 | | (1)(A) A grant or loan shall not exceed $50,000.00 per unit for 2 |
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| 81 | 81 | | addressing habitability concerns, to improve energy or water efficiency, or to 3 |
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| 82 | 82 | | make the dwelling accessible for individuals with disabilities. 4 |
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| 83 | 83 | | (B) As used in this section, “habitability concerns” means home 5 |
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| 84 | 84 | | repairs that are required to ensure a residential dwelling unit is: 6 |
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| 85 | 85 | | (i) fit for human habitation; 7 |
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| 86 | 86 | | (ii) free from defective conditions or health and safety hazards, 8 |
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| 87 | 87 | | including asbestos, mold, pests, or lead; or 9 |
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| 88 | 88 | | (iii) free from conditions preventing installation of measurers to 10 |
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| 89 | 89 | | improve energy or water efficiency and lower utility costs. 11 |
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| 90 | 90 | | (2) If the unit is occupied, the grant or forgivable loan agreement shall 12 |
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| 91 | 91 | | include terms: 13 |
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| 92 | 92 | | (A) that prohibit permanent, involuntary displacement of the current 14 |
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| 93 | 93 | | residents; 15 |
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| 94 | 94 | | (B) that provide for the temporary relocation of the current residents 16 |
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| 95 | 95 | | if necessary to perform the rehabilitation; and 17 |
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| 96 | 96 | | (C) that ensure that the landlord complies with the affordability 18 |
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| 97 | 97 | | requirements of the Program following the rehabilitation. 19 |
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| 98 | 98 | | (3) In determining the amount of a grant or loan, a housing organization 20 |
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| 99 | 99 | | shall consider the number of bedrooms in the unit, whether the unit is being 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.439 |
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| 100 | 100 | | 2025 Page 5 of 7 |
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| 101 | 101 | | |
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| 102 | 102 | | |
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| 103 | 103 | | VT LEG #381052 v.1 |
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| 104 | 104 | | rehabilitated or newly created, whether the project includes accessibility 1 |
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| 105 | 105 | | improvements, and whether the unit is being converted from nonresidential to 2 |
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| 106 | 106 | | residential purposes. 3 |
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| 107 | 107 | | (4) A landlord shall contribute matching funds or in-kind services that 4 |
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| 108 | 108 | | equal or exceed 20 percent of the value of the grant or loan. 5 |
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| 109 | 109 | | (5) A project may include a weatherization component. 6 |
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| 110 | 110 | | (6) A project shall comply with applicable building, housing, and health 7 |
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| 111 | 111 | | laws. 8 |
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| 112 | 112 | | (7) The terms and conditions of a grant or loan agreement apply to the 9 |
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| 113 | 113 | | original recipient and to a successor in interest for the period the grant or loan 10 |
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| 114 | 114 | | agreement is in effect. 11 |
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| 115 | 115 | | (8) The identity of a recipient, the amount of a grant or forgivable loan, 12 |
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| 116 | 116 | | the year in which the grant or forgivable loan was extended, and the year in 13 |
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| 117 | 117 | | which any affordability covenant ends are public records that shall be available 14 |
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| 118 | 118 | | for public copying and inspection and the Department shall publish this 15 |
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| 119 | 119 | | information at least quarterly on its website. 16 |
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| 120 | 120 | | (9) A project for rehabilitation or creation of an accessible unit may 17 |
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| 121 | 121 | | apply funds to the creation of a parking spot for individuals with disabilities. 18 |
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| 122 | 122 | | (d) Funding awards. 19 |
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| 123 | 123 | | (1) A homeowner whose household income does not exceed 80 percent 20 |
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| 124 | 124 | | of the area median income shall be eligible for a grant. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.439 |
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| 125 | 125 | | 2025 Page 6 of 7 |
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| 126 | 126 | | |
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| 127 | 127 | | |
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| 128 | 128 | | VT LEG #381052 v.1 |
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| 129 | 129 | | (2)(A) A landlord shall be eligible for a forgivable loan if the following 1 |
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| 130 | 130 | | conditions have been met: 2 |
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| 131 | 131 | | (i) The landlord offers to extend a current residential rental 3 |
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| 132 | 132 | | agreement to the resident occupying the unit for a period of up to three years. 4 |
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| 133 | 133 | | (ii) Annual increases in monthly rent have not exceeded three 5 |
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| 134 | 134 | | percent of the base rent or the unit has been occupied by a tenant receiving any 6 |
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| 135 | 135 | | housing voucher or similar federal or State subsidy for a period of not less than 7 |
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| 136 | 136 | | 10 years. 8 |
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| 137 | 137 | | (iii) The landlord has not committed a serious violation with 9 |
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| 138 | 138 | | regards to the landlord’s rental property for which the landlord has taken no 10 |
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| 139 | 139 | | substantial steps to correct the serious violation within six months following 11 |
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| 140 | 140 | | notification of the serious violation and for which no fines or other penalties or 12 |
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| 141 | 141 | | a judgement to correct were imposed by a judge or municipal housing 13 |
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| 142 | 142 | | authority, nor a judgement at law or in equity was imposed within the past 10 14 |
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| 143 | 143 | | years. 15 |
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| 144 | 144 | | (iv) The landlord has maintained ownership of the unit for a 16 |
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| 145 | 145 | | period of not less than 10 years. 17 |
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| 146 | 146 | | (B) As used in this subsection (d) a “serious violation” means a 18 |
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| 147 | 147 | | violation of State law or municipal ordinance that poses an imminent threat to 19 |
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| 148 | 148 | | the health and safety of a dwelling occupant, occupants in surrounding 20 |
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| 149 | 149 | | structures, or the public. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.439 |
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| 150 | 150 | | 2025 Page 7 of 7 |
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| 151 | 151 | | |
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| 152 | 152 | | |
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| 153 | 153 | | VT LEG #381052 v.1 |
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| 154 | 154 | | (3) A homeowner or landlord who does not meet the requirements of 1 |
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| 155 | 155 | | subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection shall be eligible for a loan subject to 2 |
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| 156 | 156 | | the requirements of this section. 3 |
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| 157 | 157 | | (e) Lien priority. A lien for a grant converted to a loan or for a forgivable 4 |
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| 158 | 158 | | loan issued pursuant to this section is subordinate to: 5 |
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| 159 | 159 | | (1) a lien on the property in existence at the time the lien for 6 |
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| 160 | 160 | | rehabilitation and weatherization of the rental housing unit is filed in the land 7 |
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| 161 | 161 | | records; and 8 |
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| 162 | 162 | | (2) a first mortgage on the property that is refinanced and recorded after 9 |
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| 163 | 163 | | the lien for rehabilitation and weatherization of the rental housing unit is filed 10 |
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| 164 | 164 | | in the land records. 11 |
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| 165 | 165 | | Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION 12 |
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| 166 | 166 | | The sum of $15,000,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to the 13 |
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| 167 | 167 | | Department of Housing and Community Development in fiscal year 2026 for 14 |
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| 168 | 168 | | the purposes of funding the Whole Home Repairs Program established in 10 15 |
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| 169 | 169 | | V.S.A. § 700, $5,000,000.00 of which shall be used for technical assistance 16 |
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| 170 | 170 | | and workforce development. 17 |
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| 171 | 171 | | Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 18 |
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| 172 | 172 | | This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 19 |
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