Paul, a long-time AHW resident who lives alone in historic Smallest City apartments in downtown Vergennes, has built a strong and supportive connection with Kaio, one of our Family Support Coordinators. The two meet regularly in Paul’s apartment, where Kaio helps with everything from managing paperwork to coordinating medical care.

Recently, Kaio supported Paul through the process of applying for moderate-needs services under the Choices for Care Medicaid program. Paul was approved and is now moving up the waitlist for a personal care attendant—someone who can help with household chores he’s no longer able to do on his own. In the meantime, Kaio has helped him create a budget, resolve an old cable bill, and stay on top of medical appointments, especially for a long-standing foot injury that made it hard for Paul to get around.

With the right support, Paul is now feeling more mobile, more connected, and better able to live independently in his home. He’s especially grateful for the relationship he’s built with Kaio—and when he’s not working through paperwork, you’ll likely find him relaxing with one of the many DVDs in his impressive movie collection.

According to a new analysis by Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Vermont is falling short of its housing targets by thousands of homes each year. In order to alleviate the state's housing crisis, the recent statewide housing needs assessment estimates that Vermont needs 28,000-41,000 more homes by 2030, but is currently on track to produce only 12,500.

A new dashboard from the Department of Housing and Community Development breaks these targets down further by county and (coming soon) town. Addison County needs to add about 400 homes per year to meet projected housing demand by 2030. However, it is currently averaging only 110 homes annually, which will leave the county nearly 1,500 homes short of the 2,000 total needed by the end of the decade.

Falling short of these goals will continue to drive up housing costs, reduce availability, and push working families and vulnerable residents out of our communities. It’s more important than ever to support policies and investments that increase the supply of affordable and workforce housing—because everyone deserves a place to call home.

Addison Housing Works recently adopted a new three-year strategic plan to guide our work over the next three years. The shortened time frame for the plan reflects the increasing volatility and uncertainty we face in the housing market and federal landscape, but we remain steadfast in our mission: creating more housing opportunities, supporting our residents, properties, and communities, advocating for systems change, and ensuring our long-term sustainability. Download our full strategic plan or read the summary below.

The AHW Board of Directors will meet on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at 4:30pm at One Credit Union in Vergennes (48 Green Street) and via Zoom. Download the agenda and register below to attend/receive the Zoom link and packet.

On a mild Wednesday evening in March, AHW had the honor of joining 13 other Addison County organizations doing the work on climate, showcasing a wealth of energy and achievements in making Vermont a more environmentally sustainable place to live. From energy efficient housing to resilient and climate conscious food systems to electrified transit and more, Addison County has much to be proud of, and a lot more we can do--especially when it comes to increasing access to energy programs for low- and moderate-income households. It was great to see how many others are working to this shared goal, and a sign of many opportunities to collaborate in the future.

AHW's February Board meeting will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at One Credit Union in Vergennes and via Zoom. Please RSVP to ensure we have enough space and/or receive the Zoom link. Download the agenda here.