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!

When: May 17, 4pm
Where: Zoom (RSVP below for link)

Agenda

1. Vote on matters related to Lindale refinance and community septic:
   1. CWSRF Borrowing Resolution for Lindale Community Septic;
      
   2. Updated resolution from 4/22 to reflect that ACCT now plans to purchase the Fenn parcel simultaneously with the VHFA refinance closing;
      
   3. Remove Kathy Curley from Lindale VHFA Replacement Reserve account per VHFA request.
      

This morning, the FCC announced that on May 12, 2021, eligible households will be able to apply for the Emergency Broadband Benefit.
 
In announcing the official launch date, Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel stated: 
 
“Families in every corner of the country have been struggling to get online throughout this pandemic. For those families, we now say help is around the corner. In less than two weeks, we will have a new way for disconnected Americans to access the internet to carry out their day-to-day life, so they can reach the virtual classroom, take advantage of telehealth, and seek new employment opportunities.” 
 
Beginning on May 12 households can apply in three ways: 
 
Contact your preferred participating broadband provider directly to learn about their application process.  
 
Go to GetEmergencyBroadband.org to apply online and to find participating providers near you. 
 
Call 833-511-0311 for a mail-in application, and return it along with proof of eligibility to: Emergency Broadband Support Center 
P.O. Box 7081  
London, KY 40742 
 
Materials that partners can use to help promote the Emergency Broadband Benefit to the communities they serve will be available soon on www.fcc.gov/emergency-broadband-benefit-outreach-toolkit.
 
Earlier this week the FCC hosted a webinar that provided an overview of the benefit, eligibility criteria, how to apply, and the FCC’s partner toolkit materials. If you missed the event live, a recording can be viewed online. 
 
Thank you for all your hard work and continued efforts to ensure that every eligible consumer knows about the program and how to sign up. 
 
 In addition to the FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit, Vermont has also authorized use of CRF monies to extend the Temporary Broadband Subsidy.  Eligible Vermonters may stack their benefits.  By that I mean, that the FCC benefit AND the TBS benefit may both be applied to an account.  The FCC benefit will be applied first, and then the TBS will be applied against any remaining balance.  This brings the total available benefit up to $90 per month.
 
Current Lifeline subscribers will be automatically enrolled in EBB, best we can tell.
 
When these applications go live, we will have buttons that link to the online applications available on the home page for the Department at publicservice.vermont.gov for both EBB and TBS.

VHFA recently relaunched their Mortgage Assistance Program with new relief funds.  More info is available at www.vhfa.org/map.

Thanks to residents, staff, Board, and friendly volunteers, ACCT greened up three mobile home parks on May first.  Otter Creek's playground got a facelift with the addition of some new swings and lots of brush clearing around the slide.  Meanwhile, three new Zero Energy Modular (ZEM) homes at KTP were landscaped to get ready for guests of John Graham Housing & Services to move into their homes.  Up at Lazy Brook, volunteers refurbished a sign and beautified the park with plantings.

A huge THANK YOU to all our volunteers!  And thanks to property manager Chris Ouellette for organizing the whole thing!