History of the Addison County Community Trust

The Addison County Community Trust (ACCT) was created in 1989 by a broad base of community leaders as part of a statewide effort to address housing costs that were rising much faster than wages. It achieved non-profit status under the Internal Revenue Code as a section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Trust's initial transactions were single-family home purchases, which were resold at a reduced price to make them affordable. The Trust continues to purchase and build affordable homes and to preserve land—by 2001 it had preserved more than 6,000 acres of land, including working family farms, natural areas such as Snake Mountain, access areas for rivers, and other important land. Currently, ACCT stewards over 450 units of permanently affordable housing, which it has developed over the years. Its Board of Directors is composed of businesses and community leaders, as well as low- and moderate-income residents served by the Trust.

Middlebury as seen from ACCT's former offices at 282 Boardman Street