For Immediate Release
Governor Phil Scott Announces $2.4 Million In Community Development Grants To Eight Vermont Communities
Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today announced over $2.4 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) awards to eight communities in seven Vermont counties. The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) awards approximately $7 million annually in competitive grants to Vermont cities and towns.
“These grants support projects that strengthen local communities and make them better places to live and work, whether it’s launching new businesses, improving housing and downtowns or preserving and creating jobs,” said Governor Scott. “We are grateful to the congressional delegation for their continued dedication to securing these funds for Vermont, especially as we work together to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic crisis.”
The grants are funded through the federal CDBG program, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Funding is targeted to address the needs of lower-income Vermonters and represents partnership between federal, state and local government. The largest grant in this round was awarded to the Town of Swanton to provide a deferred loan to Leader Evaporator Company to preserve up to 58 existing jobs at the 132-year-old business.
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.) havebeen steadfast in their support of the funding that makes this program possible, most recently securing an additional $6.2 million in CDBG funding to help the state respond to housing and business needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Community Development Block Grant Awards:
- Town of Brighton ($40,000 ): Grant to complete a preliminary engineering study for downtown Island Pond streetscape, utility improvements and wayfinding systems design
- Town of Hardwick ($100,000): Subgrant to the Jeudivine Memorial Library to support the renovations to the historic town library to be fully ADA compliant and serve more Vermonters
- Town of Hartford ($247,200 ): Subgrant to Twin Pines Housing to construct 21 new apartments within the Town of Hartford’s designated Growth Center, 16 of which will be affordable for households earning less than 80% of Area Median Income (AMI)
- Town of Johnson ($300,000): Subgrant to Jenna's Promise LLC to rehabilitate and revitalize a vacant building in downtown Johnson into a coffee shop and supportive housing for up to eight women in recovery from substance use disorder
- Town of Rockingham ($242,745): Subgrant to Windham and Windsor Housing Trust to support the renovation of the former Bellows Falls Garage located in the Bellows Falls Designated Downtown. The project will create 26 new apartments, 20 of which will be affordable for households earning less than 80% of AMI
- City of St. Albans ($500,000): Subgrant to Almond Blossoms Schoolhouse for the renovation and expansion of a childcare and pre-school facility to increase capacity from 30 children to 60 children
- Town of St. George ($46,072): Subgrant to the St. George Community Cooperative to assess the condition of drinking-water, septic and wastewater infrastructure, and identify options for improvements
- Town of Swanton ($1,000,000): Loan to Leader Evaporator to provide working capital necessary to retain 58 jobs
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