Programs

The Department of Housing and Community Development manages the state designation programs – Downtowns, Village Centers, New Town Centers, Growth Centers and Neighborhood Development Areas.

Eight historic downtowns in Vermont, turned massive flooding into opportunities to improve their physical design, hone their marketing messages, and strengthen partnerships to achieve greater economic resilience and build back stronger than before the flood.

The Vermont Village Greens Initiative is restoring appreciation for village greens and raising awareness about the important cultural and economic role they play. Vermont’s village greens (and commons) serve as the physical, historic and cultural heart of many communities, hosting concerts, fairs, parades, seasonal festivals and farmers markets.

Vermont's distinctive sense of place is tied to its primary land use planning goal: to plan development so as to maintain the historic settlement pattern of compact village and urban centers separated by rural countryside. Through collaboration with our partners the Department works to further these land use goals by developing programs that provide communities with needed tools and resources. Below are some of the programs and guidance that can help communities integrate land use planning with energy, housing, economic development and transportation options. 

The Charitable Housing Investment Tax Credit (“HITC”) is an opportunity to support affordable housing in Vermont and reduce your Vermont income taxes.

Visit our homeowner resource page for information about financing, down payment assistance, and mobile home repair loans and services.

Mobile home parks provide an important source of affordable housing for about 7,000 Vermont households. Vermont law defines a mobile home park as any property with three or more mobile homes or mobile home lots. The Department has authority to enforce the State mobile home park act and administers rules for mobile home park leases, lot rent increases, sale or closure of mobile home parks, and habitability standards, and conducts an annual registration of Vermont mobile home parks. The Department serves as a resource on mobile and manufactured homes and park issues.