Vermont Dept. of Housing & Community Affairs

Vermont Neighborhoods Program

Since the 1970'sVermont has promoted policies and programs that seek to maintain and enhance Vermont's historic development pattern of compact settlements separated by a rural working landscape.

The Vermont Neighborhoods Program, established in Act 176, builds on this tradition by providing financial benefits to stimulate new housing development in targeted areas in and around designated downtowns, village centers, new town centers, and growth centers.

Vermont Neighborhood application to Downtown Board now available.

The program is administered by the Community Planning & Revitalization Division within DHCA, in coordination with the Natural Resources Board. Municipalities must apply to the Vermont Downtown Board for designation as a Vermont Neighborhood. Guidelines and application will be availalbe this summer, 2008.

Planning Resources

Act 250 benefits for Vermont Neighborhoods Housing

The Vermont Land Use Planning Implementation Manual:
Topic Papers of particular interest and relevance to Neighborhoods include:

#2 Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities
#6 Design Review
#13 Housing Program
#14 Housing Regulations
#16 Land Use and Development Regulations
#22 Planned Unit Development, and
#30 Zoning Regulations

Smart Growth Vermont's Community Planning Tool Box:

The Growth Center Planning Manual, Implementation Tools and Resources

Groundswell, a publication by the Vermont Design Institute, is a 24 page large-format graphic publication focused on community planning and design. Contents include descriptions of design tools for community building, visioning, design charrettes, design review districts, open-space planning, and discussion on defining types of space, principles of sustainability, design vocabulary and geometry.

Affordable Housing Resources

For more information please email Chris Cochran or call (802)-828-3047.

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