Press: News clips

Housing in Vermont growing at one of the country's slowest rates
by Chris Blank
Free Press Staff Writer

People are flocking to the sun, the beach and the mountains — fleeing states in the Rust Belt and New England.

According to information from the U.S. Census Bureau released last week, housing in Vermont increased at one of the slower rates in the country — 3.4 percent — between 2000 and 2004. Nevada experienced the greatest increase in housing — 18 percent; the District of Columbia had the smallest increase — 0.6 percent.

In New England, New Hampshire saw the greatest increase at 5.2 percent; Rhode Island had the smallest increase, 1.5 percent.

The statistics come less than a month after another U.S. Census Bureau report showed population falling in the Northern states and increasing in the Western and Southern states.

Only Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Nevada and Utah recorded double-digit increases in the number of housing units during that period.

Midwest states also reported smaller increases, but the New England states reported the smallest growth.

Of the 304,291 housing units in Vermont, 20 percent were in Chittenden County, which saw the largest increase between 2000 and 2004.

Despite modest gains compared with other parts of the nation, a record number of residential building permits were issued in Chittenden County in 2004, according to a report from real estate market analysts Allen & Brooks.

The 918 building permits issued in 2004 represented a 45 percent increase from 2003 and were 29 percent above the 15-year average.

Milton issued the most single-family permits; South Burlington the most multi-family permits.

Steven Allen of Allen & Brooks said the amount of available land was the primary driving force in the number of permits issued.

"The closer you get to the urban corridor the less land there is available," Allen said.

Almost 200 more multi-family permits were issued than single-family permits. Allen said he expected this trend to continue.

"There is going to be a shift from single-family to multi-family because it's very difficult to get permits for single-family developments, and because there is less and less land available for development," he said.

Despite housing increases statewide and in Chittenden County, a state report studying housing needs in Vermont in 2005 said there is a shortage of about 21,000 low-income apartment units.

The state report found that Chittenden County has the highest average purchasing price for a house at $237,000, while the county has a lower percentage of home ownership than the state average.

With more than half of low-income renters facing high housing costs, the report said an additional 5,700 affordable rental units were needed to meet demand.

A state plan for ensuring affordable housing in Vermont filed with the U.S. Department on Housing and Urban Development pointed to efforts to develop partnerships between developers and human service providers to help people with lower income pay their housing costs.