VSHA 2026 Legislative Priorities
Vermont stands at a critical crossroads in housing policy. The Housing Choice Voucher program—one of our most effective tools for ensuring safe, affordable housing—is in a state of decline. Despite being federally funded, a chronic underinvestment and rapidly rising rents have combined to create a structural gap that threatens thousands of Vermont families. Today, VSHA is authorized to serve nearly 4,500 households, yet hundreds of vouchers remain unfunded, and more are at risk of permanent loss. Each voucher lost represents not only a family pushed closer to homelessness but also millions of federal dollars slipping away from Vermont communities.
This is not a management issue—it is a systemic funding problem. Without immediate state action, the downward spiral will accelerate, waiting lists will grow, landlord participation will shrink, and housing instability will deepen across the state. The Legislature has the power to interrupt this trend. Strategic, targeted investments now can preserve existing federal resources, stabilize vulnerable households, and prevent far greater costs for emergency housing, healthcare, and public systems later.
Our message is simple: a modest state investment today will save millions tomorrow and protect Vermont’s housing infrastructure for years to come.
Please read the attachment for more.