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Raekwaanza t1_j1zyfps wrote

Reply to comment by greenmtnfiddler in Vermont lawmakers aim to make housing more available and affordable by dropkickninja

On the flip side, if your supply of housing is so low that out-of-state skilled professionals like Doctors and engineers can’t find or afford housing, then that likely means that building housing probably should come first.

I understand your point but I know of nurses, doctors, social workers, and educators who want to move here or have left because they simply can not find housing here. Housing is the most critical issue for Vt right now as we can’t even get the people who could help with other issues. If we do increase subsidies now, a large chunk will just be going to those professionals’ ever-increasing cost of living with real change being minimal.

If the housing issue had been seriously addressed at all in the last 5 years, I’d definitely agree with you. However, whenever articles like this come out nothing meaningful actually happens and the can is kicked further down the road until housing becomes an even bigger issue.

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greenmtnfiddler t1_j20vgjk wrote

I think this is one of those times when we're all right, you, me, every reply on this thread.

Building owners need help with renovations that would let them come up to code, people w/ extra space but no landlord skills need help getting them, towns need help setting up policies that encourage local affordable full-time residencies.

"I've got that extra room downstairs that could be a small apartment, but I heard of one friend who did that and...[insert horror story about bad tenant, theft, losing food/heating assistance, taxes doubling etc here]" is something I've heard from more than one local.

People are afraid to create housing in their existing homes, there's way too many ways it can go south if you don't have the legal/handyman chops. Owning housing is a business/skill like any other, it's a job, and not everyone's cut out to do it -- and if you screw up, you can really get hosed.

>nothing meaningful ever happens

With you there. :/

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