Addison Housing Works is proud to celebrate Diana Rule-Senzel, AHW’s SASH Manager, who was recently honored with an inaugural award from the Housing and Homelessness Alliance of Vermont, recognizing her decades of service to people experiencing homelessness and vulnerable residents throughout Addison County.

Diana received the award during the Vermont Balance of State Continuum of Care Membership Meeting on August 18. Presented by Jeanne Montross of HOPE, the award recognizes an individual, group, or organization whose unwavering commitment, compassion, and leadership have made a profound impact on efforts to end homelessness in Vermont.

Diana has spent her career serving her community and addressing homelessness in countless ways. Early in her career, she volunteered with the Parent Child Center while also driving a local school bus. She later created the Books for Children program, which connected children living in affordable housing with donated books, and worked at HOPE as a housing programs facilitator, helping people in need access housing assistance. Diana also spent 14 years managing the John Graham Shelter before bringing her experience and passion to Addison Housing Works more than 12 years ago.

At AHW, Diana served as the SASH Coordinator in Vergennes, supporting older adults and other residents in remaining safely and successfully housed in their communities. In January 2026, she was promoted to SASH Manager, allowing her to continue and expand upon that work.

In presenting the award, Jeanne summed up Diana’s career best: “I don't think anybody could more embody just a whole life of service and inspiring helping people. She has helped so many, many people.”
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Congratulations, Diana, and thank you for a career dedicated to showing up for our neighbors and our community. AHW is incredibly lucky to have you on our team!

On August 4, residents, partners, staff, and board members gathered at Otter Creek Mobile Home Park in Vergennes to celebrate the completion of an important stormwater improvement project to comply with the state 3-acre rule.  

Vermont’s 3-Acre Rule is part of the state’s effort to protect clean water by reducing stormwater pollution, officially passed in 2019. The rule applies to certain existing properties with three or more acres of impervious surfaces—hard, man-made surfaces such as roofs, roads, and parking areas where rain and melting snow cannot naturally soak into the ground and instead pick up pollutants before making it back into natural water sources.

Lindale and Otter Creek Manufactured Housing Communities were both identified by the state as areas that violate the 3-acre rule but have a viable pathway to water treatment construction.

Stormwater treatment alone cannot solve the many infrastructure challenges facing manufactured housing communities. But projects like this are an important step toward protecting our waterways and strengthening our communities.
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AHW is grateful to the residents of Otter Creek and Lindale for their patience throughout the project and to Greenprint Partners, CVOEO, local contractors and engineers, and everyone else who helped make these improvements possible.

James, a lifelong Vermonter and a resident of Creekview housing in Vergennes, is coming up on 6 years of housing with AHW. We are extremely proud of James and thank him for being a great tenant and neighbor - he has become a staple of the Creekview community.

James grew up in Burlington and after graduating high school worked for IBM for around 20 years before being laid off in the mid-1990s. Like many people of his generation, he worked hard, raised a family, and expected that dedication would provide a stable future. But life had other plans. Following the lay-off James went through a divorce and found himself moving back in with his parents while trying to rebuild his life. Then came another challenge: a cancer diagnosis.

The years that followed were filled with medical treatments and uncertainty. “I lost my hair and everything,” James recalled. “I was weak. I couldn’t do the things I normally did.” Yet through it all, James kept moving forward. He eventually moved out of his parents’ house and found another job in Vermont. He was there for about 10 years, but the work was demanding and laborious and after his serious medical issues he ended up retiring at the age of 62.

A year later he found AHW, which he describes as “lifesaving”, allowing him to maintain his independence while living on fixed income. "All I want is to pay my bills and live comfortably," he said. "I've worked all my life." He spoke openly about the challenges many older adults face, from rising housing costs to medical expenses and food insecurity. He knows how quickly circumstances can change and how important stable housing can be.

But James's story isn't only about resilience. It's also about community.

Neighbors and AHW staff know him as someone who looks out for others, keeps an eye on the property, and is always willing to lend a hand. He believes caring for a community is a shared responsibility and takes pride in helping create a welcoming environment for everyone who lives there. You’ll often find him alongside his rescue dog, Lily, on their front steps greeting the residents and visitors of Creekview.
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Thank you James and congrats on 6 years at Creekview!