Yesterday, Vermont House Speaker Jill Krowinski and Pro Tem Becca Balint took to Zoom to hear from dozens of Addison County residents about their hopes and concerns for the future of our county. The below message summarizes the major themes they heard, with a strong emphasis on the need for affordable housing, child care, and workforce development:

We heard from close to 50 community members about what matters most, what you struggle with, and what you envision for the future of Addison County and Vermont.
 
We listened and took careful notes on your input. Here are just a few of the the insights we heard:
 

• You are proud of your communities for the way you’ve worked together and taken care of each other during the pandemic. For example, the Vergennes partnership brought businesses together in support of the community, and Middlebury celebrated the value of “helping thy neighbor” with a sense of inclusion and willingness to help those who live right next door.
  

 

• Your communities are really struggling with workforce issues. We heard about young families struggling to find child care and affordable housing necessary to stay in the workforce, about the storefront vacancies in downtown Middlebury, and your concerns that your grown children cannot stay in Vermont because there is a lack of professional jobs. Some of you don’t know where to turn to get with writing a resume and finding child care so that you can look for work. 

 

• You feel hopeful and, and you inspired us, with your ideas about how to seize this once in a lifetime opportunity to invest in Vermont’s future. You emphasized the necessity of broadband access so that all Vermont’s communities can thrive in our digital future, and the critical need for child care to support families coming to and staying in Vermont. You discussed innovative climate solutions that could lead to positive change across sectors by helping working people make modifications to their homes, generating energy and construction jobs, creating new affordable housing, and improving water quality and environmental health.

 
All this, and our listening tour has only just begun! We’ll combine your ideas with those that we collect from future regional conversations, from our online questionnaire, and through intentional outreach to individuals and groups who weren’t at the table. Before the Legislature convenes in January, we’ll conduct a careful analysis of ideas from all our conversations so that we can bring overarching themes and your insights to inform the Legislature’s policy and budgetary work. 
 
Please consider taking a next step to help us ensure we’re hearing the many voices of Vermonters:
 

• If you didn’t complete a demographic survey during yesterday’s meeting, please click here to enter your information anonymously. Your response will help ensure that we include many different perspectives and experiences during our conversations.

 

• Click here to sign up for future email updates about the Investing in Vermont's Future process.

 

• If you were unable to attend last night’s events, or would like to invite friends and neighbors to add their voices to the conversation, people can use  this link to share their thoughts through our online questionnaire. 

 

• If you are interested in helping set up an intentional conversation with a community or group not typically heard in the Legislative process, please reach out to cwesley@leg.state.vt.us and ckennedy@leg.state.vt.us. 

 
Together, we are seizing this once in a lifetime opportunity to make significant investments in the future of our state. Thank you for your important contribution!
 
Speaker Jill Krowinski & Pro Tem Becca Balint
Yesterday

Today ACCT released a report spearheaded by interns from the MiddWorks program demonstrating strong demand for affordable workforce housing in Addison County.

ACCT's July Board meeting will be held on 7/29/21 at 4pm in person at 109 Catamount Park in Middlebury. 

• Agenda
  

Do you have accounting skills and want to put them to good use at a growing mission-driven nonprofit as part of a collaborative finance team?  We have an immediate opening for an Accountant who will oversee a bookkeeper and report directly to the Finance Director.  The Accountant will be responsible for ACCT's internal financial reporting for our organizational finances as well as approximately two dozen affordable housing entities including multifamily apartment buildings and mobile home parks.  Primary responsibilities include cash disbursements, cash receipts, general ledger entries, and bank reconciliations.  

The ideal candidate will have 2-4 years of accounting experience and a Bachelor's degree in Accounting.  Must be detail oriented and capable of working independently and efficiently.  This position requires a high degree of comfort with technology including Excel and multiple accounting software programs.   The position may be required to work extra hours from time to time to meet financial statement and audit deadlines.

ACCT offers a competitive salary and benefit package including health insurance, fully paid dental insurance, paid time off, retirement matching contributions, and more.  Resume and cover letter should be submitted via email.  Position open until filled.  EEO.

On May 24, Firehouse Apartments in Bristol took a big step closer to becoming a reality when VHFA awarded the project an allocation of Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.  Funding has also been secured from the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board.  This summer, ACCT & Evernorth will be applying to the Vermont Community Development Program for what we hope will be the final source needed to bridge the gap.  

Firehouse Apartments will offer 15 affordable apartments reserved for low- and moderate-income householdsin a 20-unit building. Four apartments will be set aside for supportive housing for homeless or at-risk households. The new building is part of the new Stoney Hill master development, a public/private partnership which incorporates a new fire station, business park and mixed-income housing, with access to the Bristol Trail Network. You can read more about the projects that were funded at www.vhfa.org/news/blog/federal-tax-credits-awarded-build-affordable-apartments-five-vermont-towns.

Dear Friends,

2020 was full of unprecedented challenges, but we made it! I hope you'll take a look at what we accomplished in our 2020 Annual Report.

First and foremost, I want to thank our community: our donors, whose generosity supported us through the darkest part of the pandemic; our staff, who persevered like never before and achieved amazing results by any year's standards; our Board, who steered the ship through the storm; our funders, who gave us strength and resources to respond to the crisis; our partners, who banded together in a collaborative effort to keep people safe; and last but most certainly not least, our residents, who entrusted us with their homes and who showed incredible resilience despite all the trauma of the pandemic.

Now that we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, we also want to take a beat and celebrate the hard work and successes we had along the way. We welcomed new families to ACCT, created new programs, and built new permanently affordable properties.  One particular hard-earned lesson of the pandemic kept us going: you can't "Stay Home, Stay Safe" if you don't have a home. We made sure vulnerable Vermonters were able to move into and stay safely in their homes.

So from all of us at ACCT, thank you for making "Stay Home, Stay Safe" a reality for over 750 residents of Addison County this year. 

In gratitude,
Elise

What led you to apply for housing with ACCT?  Were there particular challenges you faced?
The stability of having our own place was very important. We were happy to get moved in as quickly as possible, confusing and exhausting as it was. Such a nice and professional person signing our lease makes the stress of the move worthwhile. Appreciate all your help along the way, Christine Ouellette.

How has you life changed since finding an affordable home with ACCT?  What’s the best thing about it?
I feel much more comfortable with ACCT than I did in our previous rented mobile home. 

Open Positions:

Housing Development Coordinator (Vergennes): This organized self-starter with great problem-solving skills will be tasked with overseeing and coordinating internal and external development team members in the identification, evaluation, and construction of affordable housing developments as well as the redevelopment of ACCT-owned mobile home parks. The successful candidate will coordinate/oversee project feasibility studies; participate in the design development and permitting process; participate in securing project funding; oversee and manage the construction process; and coordinate with professionals, partners, and funders. The candidate for this position must possess strong organizational, communication and analytical skills. Must be able to work independently and effectively in a multi-tasking environment. This position will primarily work from home.  Bachelor’s Degree required with three years of related experience.  Project management and/or nonprofit housing experience preferred.  Send cover letter and resume via email by June 8th. EOE.

SASH Coordinator (Bristol): Half-time opening for a resident services coordinator serving seniors in Bristol, with the potential for full-time in the future for the right candidate.  Full posting available on Indeed.

Upcoming Positions:

Staff Accountant: Contact Kathy for more info.

Armory Lane Senior Housing hosted an Antique Car Show today--there was plenty of sunshine and smiles to go around!  What a great and safe way to get outside and celebrate the start of summer! Thanks to Diana Rule-Senzel, Lead SASH Coordinator, for arranging this fun event!