Community Development

Municipalities and the developer of the qualified project may jointly apply to the Downtown Board for a reallocation of sales taxes on construction materials. Qualified projects must be located within a designated downtown district and may be eligible for a reallocation of sales taxes on construction materials.

The Downtown Transportation Fund supports revitalization efforts in designated downtowns each year with over $300,000 in funding. Investment in the infrastructure of public spaces stimulates public investment and creates a sense of identity and pride in Downtowns across Vermont. 

The Municipal Planning Grant (MPG) program encourages and supports planning and revitalization for local municipalities in Vermont. Awarded annually and administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development, the MPG program works to strengthen Vermont by funding local planning initiatives that support statewide planning goals.

The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) received $21.6 Million in September 2012 (DR1) and an additional $17,932,000 in December 2013 (DR2) in response to Tropical Storm Irene and other FEMA Disaster Declarations from the US Department of Housing and Ur

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Procurement Threshold Federal Changes	VCDP Notice

Your community has a great re-development opportunity, but the project needs funding. Sound familiar? Luckily a number of federal, state and local resources are available to help. Each program below serves a particular area of interest and has specific eligibility requirements. Program staff can help you find the resources needed to meet your community development goals.

Village center designation supports the revitalization efforts of small and medium-sized historic centers. The designation brings financial incentives, training and technical assistance needed to attract new business and vitality to Vermont’s smaller communities.

Since the 1970s the state has promoted development policies and programs that maintain and enhance Vermont’s historic development pattern of compact centers surrounded by a rural landscape.

For municipalities that lack a historic downtown, Vermont statute 24 V.S.A § 2793b provides the option of designating a New Town Center. Designation requirements focus on planning, capital expenditures, and regulatory tools that promote a pedestrian-oriented development pattern similar to our historic downtowns. 

Growth centers aim to align public infrastructure and private building investments with a local framework of policies and regulations to ensure that 20 years of future development will enhance the vitality of the designated commercial center, while protecting farm and forest land outside the growth center.