Day: September 29, 2023

A new program launched by the Agency of Commerce and Community Development is providing a path forward to address housing shortages for middle-income earners. Homes for All:  A ‘Design & Do’ Toolkit for Small-scale Home Builders, Investors & Community Leaders, intends to focus statewide attention on small-scale gentle infill and incremental development. The Vermont Chamber continues to be a leader in advocacy concerning the need for innovative strategies to address the shortage of workforce housing options. Spurring the creation and improvement of middle-income housing goes hand in hand with combatting the workforce shortage that is impacting businesses statewide.

A missing middle homes design guide, builders workbook, training resources for planning leaders, and a series of five case studies will all inform the work to increase diverse, affordable housing options for all Vermonters.

This ‘Design & Do’ Toolkit will produce four deliverables useful to housing champions across Vermont:

• Missing Middle Homes Design Guide – A design guide for Missing Middle Homes in a broadly appealing Vermont architectural vernacular.
• Vermont Neighborhood Infill Design Case Studies – A series of five case studies showing how MMH building designs can be integrated into existing Vermont neighborhoods and communities using illustrated visualizations. These case studies and visualizations will be generated in partnership with five pilot communities.
• Builders’ Workbook – A Missing Middle Home builders’ how-to workbook that provides a comprehensive roadmap to real estate development for first-timers. This workbook will provide guidance on a variety of considerations including regulations and zoning, financing, infrastructure, and design, as well as advice on potential partners that can help beginner developers achieve success.
• Training Resources – A complete package of training resources for regional and local planning and economic/community development leaders to promote the toolkit and transfer knowledge. The full toolkit, including these Training Resources, will be used for the first time as part of a MMH leadership summit in the spring of 2024.