homes for all ages - vermont agency of commerce and ......affordable homes for a sustainable...

Homes for All AgesVermont History Museum – 11:15AM – 12:30PM

Maura Collins| Seth Leonard| Kelly Stoddard PoorModerator: Shaun Gilpin

Affordable homes for a sustainable Vermont.

Homes for All AgesDowntown and Historic Preservation Conference



The Challenge

• In every county, at least one

out of every eight households

spend more than half of their

income for housing.

• Median commuting time has

crept up as workers seek

housing they can afford.

• 1 in 4 homes was built before

1940 (twice the national rate).

• Local housing markets face

varied challenges meeting

needs of the future

Severely cost-

burdened households


The Opportunity

Guilford, Vermont

• Growing desire to live near

jobs and services among all

age groups

• Top 3 factors influencing

neighborhood choice for 2018

home buyers (according to

National Assoc. Realtors):

1. Convenience to job

2. Home affordability

3. Quality of neighborhood

• Expanding options in and

near downtowns and villages

balances VT’s housing stock.


Goal: Shorten commuting time

72%

28%

15 minutes or more Less than 15 minutes

Perc

en

tag

e o

f V

erm

ont

work

ers

in

20

17

2017 American Community Survey


Goal: More affordable homes

$195,500

$217,500

Home price affordable formedian household income

Median home price

VHFA, 2018


Goal: Increase neighborhood connections

30%

15%

1-personhouseholds

Homes with 0-1bedrooms

67.9

87.4

Peop

le p

er

square

mile

Vermont United States

2017 American Community Survey for VT 2010 Decennial Census


Communities Lead The WayHow communities in Vermont are taking the lead on housing



What are Vermont communities doing? • Thriving Communities, through CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project: surveyed

47 Communities across Vermont. • What are the greatest housing challenges facing your community?

• Have you created a baseline of information/data to inform your discussions?

• Have you pulled together a Committee or Commission?

• Are you investing in solutions?

21

118

26

38 39

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Housing Needs Assessment? Housing Committee? Financial Resources Committed?

Yes No


What concerns “officials?


Measuring success and scaling approach

• There is no right answer, and

communities arrive at very

different combinations of

approaches.

• There are common sets of tools

that are transferrable, you do not

need to reinvent the wheel.

• Which tools are needed to reach

your community goals?


Common threads and common paths1. Gather experiences and reflections from other communities

2. Start by familiarizing yourself with data and facts! www.housingdata.org

3. Complete a Housing Needs Assessment

4. Form a Housing Commission, or sub-division of your Planning Commission that

focuses on housing and housing policy. Map who should be at the table.

5. Develop community goals and obtainable outcomes – create a narrative around

those goals

6. Consider policy levers that can be pulled in order to achieve your goals and vision

7. Ensure your community addresses housing in your municipal plan, and ensure

you are engaging your regional plan

8. Invest in outcomes

http://www.housingdata.org/


How has this approach played out?

Homes for All AgesMaking Room – Housing for a Changing America

Kelly Stoddard Poor, Associate State Director, AARP Vermont

What’s the first thing you think when you hear the

word “aging”?

AMERICA IS AGING

AMERICA IS AGING

Have you considered what sort of housing

you’ll live in when you’re older and

perhaps, less mobile?

Will you be able to live in your current

home?

Would you be willing to share a

home with friends? Or a

tenant?

Ask Yourself:

Ask Yourself: Would your home easily accommodate a weekly or frequent change in the number and needs of residents?

Ask Yourself:Chances are, you’ve searched for housing while single. Was it

difficult to find a suitable place to live?

Survey after survey finds that today’s older adults want to remain in their homes.

But most houses haven’t been designed to adapt. In fact, American homes have traditionally been designed and built for able-bodied 35 year olds.

78%of adults ages 45+ agree

or strongly agree with the statement: “What I’d

really like to do is stay in my current residence for

as long as possible.”

Source: AARP Home and Community Preferences of the 45+ Population, 2014

Photo from ThinkStock.com

What Do People Want?

8

Survey after survey finds that

today’s older adultswant to stay in their

community

Source: AARP Home and Community Preferences of the 45+ Population, 2014

For the past 50 years, communities have developed around cars and other motor vehicles as our principal form of transportation

80%of adults ages 45+ agree or strongly

agree with the statement: “What I’d really like to do is stay

in my current community for as long as possible.”

LONGEVITY ECONOMY

People want Livable Communities

Opportunity -- Missing Middle Housing

Duplex - Stacked & Side-SideBungalow CourtAccessory Dwelling UnitsFourplex

TownhousesMultiplexCourtyard Apartments

Missing Middle Characteristics

• Walkability

• Compatibility with Single Family Homes

• Provide Small, Well-Designed Units

• Provide Fewer Off-Street Parking Spaces

• Create a Strong Sense of Community

Opportunity – Designing for Sharing

Group Living Cohousing

Co-Living Homesharing

Housing for Grandparenting

Opportunity – Two Homes in One

Accessory Dwelling Units

Provide a place for a loved one to stay who needs care

Provide a home for family members or friends

Have someone living close by to feel more secure

Have a place for guests Increase the value of their home Have a place for a caregiver to stay Earn extra income from rent

Opportunity – Universal DesignCreating a Home for All Ages

• Entrance

• Doorways & Hallways

• Kitchen: varied heights & appliances

• Flooring

• Outlets & Switches

• Bath Safety

• Lighting

• Hardware

Thank you!

Kelly Stoddard Poor [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

homes for all ages - vermont agency of commerce and ......affordable homes for a sustainable...

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