The DREAM program pairs mentors and mentees at several ACCT properties in Middlebury.  This fall, mentees got up to quite a bit, from bouncing around at Whirlie's World to apple picking and a Halloween party.  

About a dozen mentees get together with mentors from Middlebury College each month for fun activities and bonding.

This fall has been a busy and exciting one for the affordable housing field in Vermont.  Earlier this week, the Vermont Statewide Housing Conference, sponsored by VHFA on November 14-15, brought together practitioners from all corners of the housing field and provided a forum for discussing Vermont's housing delivery system.   The conference is held biannually and includes a great overview of affordable housing and homelessness in Vermont for those who are interested.  Additionally, Kathy Edin and Luke Schaefer delivered keynote remarks based on their 2015 book, $2 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America.  Breakout sessions focused on topics such as rural gentrification and the homelessness system.  Attendees also learned about social impact financing and where the state's housing policy might be heading in 2017 in light of the recent elections. 

Then yesterday VPR focused its spotlight on homelessness in Vermont.  In addition to featuring one of Addison County's own homeless shelters and service agencies, John Graham Housing & Services, the show provided an interesting opportunity for practitioners to dialogue with people around the state about their perceptions of homelessness and what Vermont is doing to address it.  You can listen to the entire episode at Vermont's Emergency Housing Picture on the VPR website.