Increase Access to Safe, Stable and Affordable Housing for all Children

As a key social determinant of health, safe, stable, and affordable housing is essential to children’s well-being and success. Housing instability, homelessness, and unsafe housing contribute to childhood trauma and adverse developmental outcomes. Increasing state investments in affordable housing, reducing homelessness, and improving the health and safety of rental housing are critical to improving children’s health and well-being.

The Alliance supports the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition in securing full statutory funding for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board; promoting continued state investments in programs to prevent and reduce homelessness; improving the health and safety of the state’s rental housing stock, and stability for renters; and ensuring the availability of General Assistance/emergency housing for Vermont children and families who are in need.

LEAD ORGANIZATION: Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition

Talking Points

  • Strategic investments in housing, financial supports, and services help reduce and prevent homelessness; improve the lives of children, families, and vulnerable Vermonters; improve their physical and mental well-being; and improve their chances to succeed and live independent lives – all while building strong, healthy communities.
 
  • Women who are homeless while pregnant are 50 percent more likely to have a low-birth weight
    baby and more than 30 percent more likely to have a preterm delivery than women who were not
    homeless while pregnant. 
 
  • Vermont has a severe and protracted housing shortage: our vacancy for multi-family housing
    has ranged from 1% – 2% statewide for many years. 
Affordable housing units.

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