BURLINGTON — Over $11 million of a $50 million program to pay overdue housing costs for homeowners impacted by the pandemic has been disbursed within the first six months of the program. The Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) launched the Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP) in January 2022 with funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. It provides grants of up to $30,000 for income-eligible homeowners.
HAP funding is provided as a one-time-only grant, with payments made directly to the service provider for eligible mortgage, property tax, utility or homeowner association charges. The program also provides free legal and financial counseling, as well as translation assistance to eligible households. Although the vast majority of applications are submitted online directly by homeowners, about 400 have applied to the program with the help of community-based organizations across the state.
Since January, VHFA has awarded HAP grants for residents in 250 communities across the state and in every county. The median household income of homeowners assisted is $35,000. The program is reaching Vermonters from diverse backgrounds and situations, including 211 applicants living in manufactured home communities. Eight percent of applicants identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), compared to just 3% of all Vermont homeowners.
VHFA is a nonprofit agency created in 1974 by the Legislature to finance and promote affordable housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income Vermonters. For more information, visit vermonthap.vhfa.org or call (833) 221-4208.
