CHT @home-May-2024

Dear CHT Member,

There are quite a few important events that happen right about this time every year. One is Mother's Day, another is World Community Land Trust Day. A third one is the birthday of the Burlington Community Land Trust. BCLT was created 40 years ago this month.

Envisioned as a way to create affordable homeownership while stemming the impact of gentrification and displacement of low and moderate income people from Burlington’s neighborhoods, BCLT introduced the idea of permanent affordability to Vermont. Soon after, Lake Champlain Housing Development Corporation was created to promote affordable rental housing. These two organizations merged in 2006 to form Champlain Housing Trust, whose mission of permanent affordability and community empowerment remain essential core beliefs.

Key to these core beliefs is community. So please join us for our Members’ Day Picnic Saturday, August 17 at North Beach in Burlington. Always great food, good music, games for the kids and of course, the beach!

May is Mental Health Awareness month. If you are someone you know are struggling, in crisis, or experiencing thoughts of suicide, you can dial 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or text VT to 741741.

Please take a few minutes to visit CHT’s website. We have job openings and some great classes for renters, as well as for those interested in buying a home.

Michael Monte, CEO

he/him

P.S. Thank you Cathedral Square for the photo above from a recent visit from HUD Regional Administrator Juana Matias. I joined Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak and Kim Fitzgerald, Cathedral Square's CEO, to emphasize the importance of public investments in affordable housing.

🎂 Happy Birthday to Us! 🎂

This month marks our 40th year of creating permanently affordable housing and supporting thriving communities! Today Champlain Housing Trust serves more than 6,000 residents including 678 shared equity homeowners. Pictured above are Joan and Dale Beauchemin in 1985 finalizing the purchase of their new home, the second shared equity home in our portfolio, with attorney David Watts.

Burlington Community Land Trust and Lake Champlain Housing Development Corporation both started in 1984 with support from the City of Burlington and neighboring communities. The two merged in 2006 and formed Champlain Housing Trust to comprehensively serve the affordable housing and community development needs of Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties. The hallmarks of the community land trust model that BCLT developed, permanent affordability and community ownership through a membership structure, remain at CHT's core and guides our work to this day.

Click here to watch a brief video about how CHT got started at a time when Bernie Sanders was Mayor and see CHT's lasting impact on Burlington's Old North End.

Under Construction Soon: Post Apartments

This summer Champlain Housing Trust will begin transforming the old VFW site in downtown Burlington into 38 new affordable apartments. In addition to a new home for VFW Howard Plant Post 782 and new space for the Community Justice Center, the completed project will feature a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, a community room, and a fifth floor roof deck for residents.