BTV Progressive Caucus Unveils Affordable housing AGenda for the city!

Neighbors,

This week, the Burlington Progressive Caucus announced our plans to expand and maintain affordable housing for working and middle class renters and homeowners.

Why is this important? According to city data, here's the reality facing our city:
- From 2018 to 2024, rent for a 1-bedroom increased by 34%, and for a 2-bedroom, by 28%
- The average price of a home in our city is currently half a million dollars
- Meanwhile, a living wage for a household with 2 parents and 1 kid is ~$121,000 a year
- 60% of our city rents, and of those renters, more than 30% pay over half of their income on rent

The question is: What are we going to do about it?

We know that trickle-down, "trust in the market" solutions aren't enough. In addition to leadership from the federal and state government, we need strong local action to protect renters, expand permanently affordable housing, and ensure Burlington remains a place where everyone can live, not just those who can afford million dollar homes.

Our agenda lays out two clear goals:
1) Expand the City's portfolio of permanently affordable housing
- Housing Trust Fund: Grow this fund by at least $1 million dollars to leverage state and federal funds by creating a City Property Transfer Tax.
- Negotiations with UVM: Require that UVM maintain a portion of its housing at a rental rate affordable to low-income students.
- Inclusionary Zoning: Update and enhance this fundamental tool, including efforts to ensure that all new infill housing in the city contains affordable housing units.
- Rental Property Right-of-First Refusal: Provide tenants and housing organizations with the first opportunity to buy apartment houses when the owner elects to sell, and commit technical assistance and Housing Trust Fund resources to make this opportunity realistic.
- New Neighborhoods: Use City Bonding Authority, tax stabilization, the new state CHIP program, and other municipal finance mechanisms to help fund new infrastructure for permanently affordable homes. Complete work on the Neighborhood Code to increase density. Increase affordability requirements in neighborhoods where a significant investment of city resources is required (such as the South End Innovation District and housing in the Memorial Block).
- Tax Assessment Reform: Pursue reforms to how we assess the value of homes to ensure it is consistent and fair, no matter what your home is worth. Assess rental properties based on actual rents for landlords who commit to keeping rents affordable.

2) Treat tenants fairly and assure safe rental housing:
- UVM Housing Inspections: Assure UVM Housing is periodically inspected and complies with the city housing code.
- Short-Term Rentals: Provide rigorous defense and enforcement of the short-term rental ordinance.
- Just Cause Eviction: Push for legislative approval of the charter change approved by Burlington voters.
- Security at Decker Towers: Provide support for residents at Decker Towers and other Burlington Housing Authority properties to ensure safety and security.
- Condo Conversion: Fight against efforts to gut the City Ordinance that protects tenants from the conversion of apartments into condominiums, which threatens their displacement and potential homelessness.
- Rental housing information hub: Join Vermont Legal Aid and CVOEO in assuring all renters have access to landlord, legal, housing code, market, and other information.
- Support the Coordinated Entry Program: Direct new resources to CVOEO's coordinated entry program, which helps those at risk of becoming unhoused get connected with support and resources to help them stay in their homes.
- Rent Stabilization: Pursue a rental stabilization charter change and ordinance to prevent outrageous and unreasonable rent increases.

Progressives have always fought to make Burlington a city for everyone—not just investors and those who can afford million-dollar homes. We will continue that fight unapologetically. In the coming months, we'll bring a number of these proposals to the City Council, other initiatives will take longer, and some will include charter changes. We hope our colleagues across the aisle join us in supporting all of these critical reforms.

More importantly, we'll need your support to make this agenda a reality. In the coming weeks and months, we'll ask you to join us knocking on doors, emailing and calling your elected officials, and attending public comment periods during council meetings. Our ability to win these fights depends on your engagement.

Thank you in advance for your support - together we'll make meaningful progress for working and middle class residents.

In Solidarity,
BTV Progressive Caucus

Interested in getting involved in Progressive politics in Vermont? fill out our interest form here: https://www.progressiveparty.org/getinvolved