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The principal features of the housing and community development institutional
structure are described below and in the Inventory of Services (Appendix A). A
more complete description of the local economic development infrastructure can
be found in the Resource
Guide for Chittenden County Employers and Employees, most recently revised
by the Community & Economic Development Office in February 2003.
The housing and community development mission of the City of Burlington is
carried out by two municipal corporations (the Burlington Housing Authority and
the Burlington Community Development Corporation), several municipal
departments, a restricted revenue account established by the City Council (the
Burlington Housing Trust Fund), and a municipal board (the Housing Board of
Review).
Burlington Community Development Corporation (BCDC)
BCDC was established in 1982 to centralize various important policy
initiatives launched by the City in the fields of business development, job
training, and housing development. The Board of Directors of the corporation are
all members of the City's Board of Finance.
Burlington Housing Authority
(BHA)
BHA owns 343 units of conventional public housing and manages an additional
169 privately owned, federally subsidized apartments. BHA is also the
administrative agent for 1,711 Section 8 certificates and vouchers. The
activities of BHA are overseen by a five-member commission appointed by the
Mayor.
Burlington Electric
Department (BED)
BED, a nonprofit public power system, provides energy to over 15,000
Burlington residents and over 3,000 commercial customers. BED works to provide
affordable energy to residential and commercial consumers.
Burlington Telecom
The Burlington Telecom Project operates a fiber network for city departments
and the Burlington School District.
Church Street Marketplace
This City department manages, promotes and maintains the four block
pedestrian mall on Church Street. This is a special assessment district whereby
the merchants located on the marketplace pay for these additional services.
City Arts
City Arts supports economic and cultural development in the City, including
the development of the downtown Firehouse Center for the Visual Arts and helping artists to locate
studio/living and performance space.
City Attorney's Office
All legal services related to housing and community development are provided
by the City's Attorney's Office. In addition, the City Attorney's Office
provides staff support to the Housing Board of Review and serves as the
prosecutor to enforce all city ordinances.
Code Enforcement Office
The Code Enforcement Office, created from a reorganized and expanded Minimum
Housing Inspection Division, is responsible for coordinating the administration
of public health and safety codes in Burlington, especially municipal housing
codes that are incorporated in the City's ordinances. Code Enforcement also
administers codes associated with housing conditions, including various fire,
environmental, health and zoning regulations. Code Enforcement performs around
1,000 routine housing inspections per year and around 1,000 complaint-based
inspections per year.
Community & Economic Development Office (CEDO)
Established in 1983, CEDO is organized into three
divisions: Economic Development,
Community Development and Housing. The
mission of the Housing Division, as defined by the City Council, is “to
development, coordinate, and administer a comprehensive program to address the
City’s housing needs.” The
Housing Division supports the preservation and production efforts of a local
network of nonprofit housing organizations through funding for program delivery
and technical assistance in identifying project sites and project packaging.
CEDO also administers the Housing Initiatives Program[1]
and the Housing Trust Fund.
CEDO monitors contract compliance for a number of federally funded
housing projects and assists Planning & Zoning in enforcing ordinances such
as Inclusionary Zoning, Housing Preservation and Replacement and Impact fee
waivers. In concert with the City
Attorney’s Office, CEDO administers the Condominium Conversion ordinance
[2].
CEDO also works with the Code Enforcement Office and the Department of
Public Works on housing issues.
CEDO’s
Economic Development Division provides general financial and technical
assistance to small and large businesses, with targeted assistance to employers
providing livable wage jobs and to businesses playing a key role to downtown
vitality and in the South End; helps to develop affordable space for small and
micro businesses; runs a revolving loan fund providing gap financing to small
and micro businesses; and helps to redevelop the waterfront and vacant /
abandoned property. CEDO’s
Community Development Division oversees the AmeriCorps*VISTA program, which
provides literacy services to children and supports the capacity of local
nonprofits to meet community needs; Neighborhood Services, which supports the
Neighborhood Planning Assemblies, Burlington Neighborhood Project and
neighborhood associations; and the Community Justice Center, which
helps Burlington citizens learn about conflict resolution and develop the skills
to resolve disputes, applying restorative justice principles (outside or in
partnership with the traditional criminal and civil court process), and supports
transition into the community for incarcerated offenders. CEDO
provides funding support (through the City’s CDBG program) and technical
assistance to a number of the City’s nonprofit service delivery organizations.
Department of Parks &
Recreation
The Department of Parks & Recreation develops and rehabilitates
recreational space; creates attractive greenspaces along city streets; manages
the Burlington harbor; plans and coordinates community gardens; and runs
recreational programs serving low and moderate income residents in the City.
Department of Planning
& Zoning
The Department of Planning & Zoning is the municipal
agency which has the principal responsibility for regulating new development in
Burlington. Planning & Zoning
plays a key role with respect to housing in (1) preserving existing affordable
housing through the City’s Housing Replacement Ordinance[3]
and (2) promoting the production of new affordable housing through the City’s
Inclusionary Zoning[4] and mini-Act 250
ordinances, and through density bonuses for elderly housing (allowing the
development of larger projects such as the Heineberg Senior Housing project),
zoning amendments for special needs populations, impact fee waivers and parking
waivers for affordable housing (especially in the Central Business District and
other high-density neighborhoods).
Department of Public Works
(DPW)
DPW is responsible for the public infrastructure (streets, sidewalks, water
and sewage) in the City. DPW operates the City's parking lots and the City's
wastewater facilities, and administers the Vacant Building ordinance.[6]
Fletcher Free Library
The City's public library offers a variety of literacy activities for both
adults and children, including English as a Second Language, and operates a
public access computer center.
Housing Trust Fund
Established in 1989 by municipal ordinance, this restricted account is
capitalized through the property tax and impact fees. Funds may only be used for
grants or loans to nonprofit organizations or projects that promote perpetually
affordable housing. Disbursements are approved by a committee composed of CEDO's
Director, a member of the City Council, and an appointee of the Mayor.
Housing Board of Review
A security deposit ordinance was enacted in 1986 to regulate the collection
and return of renters'' security deposits. The Housing Board of Review,
appointed by the City Council, adjudicates landlord-tenant disputes under this
ordinance. The Housing Board of Review also functions as a "court of
appeals" for minimum housing code violations.
Police Department
The Burlington Police Department has a very active community policing
strategy which has demonstrably reduced crime levels in lower-income Old North End
neighborhoods. The Police Department works with the Community & Economic
Development Office on the Community Support Program (which uses mediation or
other alternative dispute resolution practices to deescalate conflicts before a
crime is committed), the Community Justice Center (alternative / restorative justice
programs), the Burlington
Neighborhood Project (formerly the Public Safety Project), and the
"Hiring in the Spirit of Service" project (recruiting and hiring a
diverse pool of officers).
The City of Burlington relies on several state agencies in carrying out its
housing mission. The most important of these historically have been the Vermont
Housing Finance Agency, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, and the
Department of Housing and Community Affairs. These institutions are described
briefly below; full descriptions are available in the State of Vermont's
Consolidated Plan.
Agency of Commerce & Community
Development
This state agency contain two departments which play a key role in housing
and community development:
Department of Housing &
Community Affairs (DHCA)
DHCA is responsible for community development, housing and local and regional
planning. It administers the Vermont Community Development Program, the federal
Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program and the state Housing Investment Tax
Credit Program, and sections of the Mobile Home Park Law, and oversees the Home
Investment Partnership Program (HOME). The Historic Preservation Division
reviews state and federally funded projects and administers the federal Historic
Preservation Investment Tax Credit program and the State Historic Preservation
Grants.
Department of Economic Development
This department works with state, regional, local, public and private
partners to create quality jobs, encourage competitive businesses and ensure a
healthy and sustainable economy.
Agency of Human Services (AHS)
AHS helps to address the needs of lower income households, the homeless and
special needs populations through the State Office of Economic Opportunity
(administering the Emergency Community Services Homeless Grant, the Emergency
Shelter Grant Program, FEMA, Community Services Block Grants, and Weatherization),
the Department of Aging and Disabilities, the Department of Health, the
Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, the State Refugee
Coordinator, the Department of Social Welfare, the Department of Corrections,
and the Office of Crime Victim Services.
Agency of Transportation (AOT) - now
VTRANS
VTRANS supports community development projects through the Transportation
Enhancement Program and the Surface Transportation Program. VTRANS funding is
supporting the North Street Revitalization Project.
Department of Employment and
Training (DET)
DET administers programs and activities which include helping job seekers
enter the workforce; providing subsidized employment for targeted sectors of the
population (low-income residents, persons with disabilities, welfare
recipients); assisting employers in filling job openings with qualified
candidates; providing organizations, and individuals with comprehensive labor
market information; providing a partial income replacement to experienced
workers while they seek new jobs; and establishing transitional training
experiences for those individuals who need these interventions in order to
return to productive employment. The department also serves as the primary
source of economic statistics to the federal government, state, counties, and
municipalities.
Vermont Economic Development Authority
(VEDA)
VEDA administers the Job Start Program, which provides small loans to
low-income Vermonters to start, strengthen or expand a small business. VEDA also
provides low cost financing for industry and tourism related businesses.
Vermont Housing and Conservation Board
(VHCB)
The Vermont Housing and Conservation Board is an independent, state-supported
funding agency which provides grants, loans and technical assistance to
nonprofit organizations, municipalities and state agencies for the development
of perpetually affordable housing and for the conservation of important
agricultural land, recreational land, natural areas and historic properties in
Vermont. VHCB also administers federal funds through different housing and
conservation programs, including the HOME and Lead Paint Hazard Reduction
Programs.
Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA)
VHFA finances and promotes affordable housing opportunities for low and
moderateincome Vermonters, funded principally through the sale of tax-exempt
and taxable bonds. VHFA operates a homeownership program offering mortgage
financing programs with the cooperation of banks, mortgage companies and credit
unions throughout Vermont. VHFA assists nonprofit and private developers to
construct and rehabilitate affordable rental housing through other financing
opportunities, including the Low Income Housing Tax Credit.
Chittenden County Transportation
Authority (CCTA)
In addition to state institutions, the Chittenden County Transportation
Authority (CCTA) plays an important role in the City's housing and community
development efforts. CCTA was founded in 1973 by the Vermont Legislature and
provides transit services in seven communities in Chittenden County. CCTA is a
full service public transportation provider, offering services including: fixed
route bus service; parking lot, supermarket and school shuttles, a county-wide
ridesharing program, transportation for Medicaid recipients and contracted
paratransit service for people who cannot use the bus. CCTA is governed by a ten
member Board of Commissioners with two Commissioners each representing
Burlington, Essex, Shelburne, South Burlington and Winooski - member
municipalities which provide local subsidies to the agency through property tax
revenues.
Corporation for National and Community
Service (CNCS)
CNCS supports the City of Burlington's AmeriCorps*VISTA program through the
placement of A*VISTA members at area non-profit agencies that work on
anti-poverty initiatives throughout the City.
Department of Commerce - Economic
Development Administration (EDA)
EDA has provided funding for major community development projects in the
City, including the Lakeview (Filene's) parking garage.
Department of Housing & Urban Development
(HUD)
HUD administers the Consolidated Development Block Grant program on a
national basis and awards grants to entitlement communities - including the City
of Burlington - each year on a formula basis. The City in turn awards grants to
local nonprofits as well as operating several CDBG programs. HUD also provides
technical assistance and training, collects and disseminates housing and
community development information, and monitors the City's performance.
HUD administers a number of additional programs from which City residents
benefit, including the HOME program; the Emergency Shelter Block Grant and
McKinney Act Homeless programs (which help to fund Continuum of Care providers);
Section 8 Certificates and Vouchers; the Community Outreach Partnership Centers;
and Special Purpose grants (which have
assisted a number of major projects such as the McClure MultiGenerational
Center, the ECHO at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Flynn Theatre improvements, the
Firehouse Center for the Visual Arts and the Central Market).
Department of Justice, Office of Justice
Programs (OJP)
OJP has provided funding for the creation of restorative and alternative
justice programs in the City. Local Law Enforcement Block Grants (LLEBG) support
the Burlington Neighborhood Project, the Community Justice Center, the
Burlington Police Department, and a number of local nonprofits.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA has provided funding for several initiatives which have been important to
the City's economic and community development objectives, including the
Brownfields Pilot Program, which helps the City to redevelop vacant industrial
land; the Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT)
program, which has allowed the City to begin establishing an ongoing
environmental monitoring system; and the Sustainable Development Challenge grant
program, which allowed the City to develop a 30-year vision through the Legacy
Project.
Small Business Administration (SBA)
The SBA offers loan guarantees and other programs for small businesses. It
also partners with Vermont colleges and universities on the Small Business
Development Center (SBDC), which provides management assistance for small
businesses, promotes and develops small businesses and offers business
counseling, and sponsors the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), a
network of experienced businesspeople providing small business owners with
advice on business planning and management.
Since 1983, the City of Burlington has dedicated a large portion of its
housing and community development resources to establishing and supporting a
network of nonprofit organizations to act as the City's partner in producing and
preserving affordable housing and protecting the City's most vulnerable
residents. This nonprofit infrastructure functions as the principal housing and
social services delivery system through which the City moves towards its goals
for affordable housing and for alleviating and reducing poverty. Several
nonprofit organizations also play an important role in the City's economic
development mission. The organizations described below represent some of the
City's nonprofit partners; others appear in the Inventory of Services (Appendix
A).
Burlington Community Land Trust (BCLT)
BCLT is a nonprofit membership organization which provides access to
affordable housing for low and moderate income households and promotes
neighborhood revitalization. BCLT develops, owns and/or operates a range of
housing options and community facilities, including shared equity homeownership,
community homes for persons with special needs, a shelter, transitional housing,
limited equity cooperatives, and affordable rentals. The
NeighborWorks Homeownership Center is a program of the Burlington Community
Land Trust dedicated to expanding homeownership opportunities to residents of
the Champlain Valley. The services of the Homeownership Center, which are open
to all residents of the Champlain Valley, include homebuyer education, credit
and budgeting counseling and financial assistance. Customers who are income
eligible and mortgage ready may be eligible for financial assistance to help
with down payment and closing costs.
Burlington Business Association (BBA)
BBA is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to maintain and enhance the
economic vitality of the Burlington Central Business District and the
waterfront.
Cathedral Square, Inc.
Cathedral Square is a nonprofit developer and manager of rental housing for
the elderly and persons with disabilities. Its two largest housing projects in
Burlington are 3 Cathedral Square and Heineberg Senior Housing. Cathedral Square
also developed and manages a 16-unit apartment building for people with chronic
mental illness. Cathedral Square is also a partner in McAuley Square, a 74-unit
complex serving elders, single mothers attending college and parenting teens
involved with the Lund Family Center.
Champlain Valley Office of Economic
Opportunity / Chittenden Community Action (CVOEO/CCA)
CVOEO/CCA is one of five community action agencies serving low income
residents in Vermont. It provides information, referral and advocacy services
through Vermont Tenants, Inc., and fair housing services through the Fair
Housing Project. CVOEO/CCA also operates a weatherization program for low-income
households, an emergency heat program, the Housing Assistance Program, the
Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf, the Head Start program and a Micro Business
Development Program.
Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS)
COTS is the nonprofit sponsor of three emergency shelters (the Waystation and
two Family Shelters), a transitional housing program for homeless families
(Families in Transition), and a multi-service drop-in shelter for the homeless
(the Daystation). COTS owns 40 units of permanent SRO housing (the Wilson Hotel
and St. John's Hall), which are managed by the Burlington Housing Authority.
Greater Burlington Industrial
Corporation (GBIC)
GBIC is a nonprofit regional development corporation which fosters industrial
and economic growth in Chittenden County. Its Board of Directors includes the
chief elected offices of the region's communities and the top officials of many
of the area's leading businesses.
Howard Center for Human Services
The Howard Center for Human Services provides community-based and residential
programs serving the mentally ill and developmental disabled, as well as
substance abuse and child and family care programs. Howard owns several group
homes for people with mental illness and developmental disabilities.
Lake Champlain Housing Development
Corporation (LCHDC)
LCHDC is a nonprofit developer of family-sized rental housing created through
rehabilitation and new construction, as well as SROs, mobile home parks, housing
cooperatives and condominiums. LCHDC also provides property management and
maintenance services for over 1000 affordable housing units.
Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of
Commerce
The Chamber of Commerce develops, coordinates and sustains a regional network
of educational and career opportunities through the School-to-Work collaborative
and promotes a healthy economic environment in the region.
Northgate Housing, Inc.
Northgate Housing, Inc. is the tenant-controlled owner of 336 units of rental
housing, constructed in the late 1960's under the HUD 221(d)(3) program and
rehabilitated in 1989 with public and private funds.
South End Arts & Business Association
Formerly the Pine Street Arts & Business Association, this organization
preserves and promotes the artistic and economic viability of the "South
End" of Burlington, including providing technical assistance and linking
arts and technical-based businesses.
Spectrum Youth and Family Services
Spectrum operates a 12-bed shelter for homeless youth and offers a range of
services including food, clothing, case management, and support in long range
living options.
United Way
The United Way of Chittenden County works in partnership with businesses,
schools, government, non-profit agencies, religious organizations, volunteers
and donors to meet the human care needs. United Way raises and distributes
charitable contributions through a citizen review process, encourages
collaborative approaches to community problem-solving, fosters volunteerism and
provides training in nonprofit and volunteer management.
Vermont Legal Aid / Volunteer Lawyers
Project
Legal Aid provides no-cost legal services in civil matters to low-income
people in danger of losing their housing through lack of income, loss of income
or unjustified eviction. The Volunteer Lawyers Project recruits and coordinates
private lawyers who volunteer their services to low-income people of need of
legal assistance.
Women's Small Business Program
The Women's Small Business Program, formerly run by Trinity College and now a
program of Mercy Connections, Inc., provides entrepreneurial training and
mentoring and support opportunities to clients interested in building economic
self-sufficiency through business ownership.
YouthBuild Burlington
YouthBuild Burlington is a comprehensive job training, education and
leadership development program for young adults age 16 through 24, most of whom
have not completed high school. YouthBuild teaches young adults construction
skills as they renovate or build housing for low-income families in the
community and study to earn a GED, high school or adult diploma.
Green Mountain
Habitat for Humanity
Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that
constructs or renovates decent affordable houses in partnership with families
who currently live in unfit, indecent, inhuman conditions and have no
possibility of obtaining a home through any conventional means. They are able to
make homeownership affordable to very low-income families by using a combination
of volunteer labor, donated materials and government grants for land or
infrastructure.
Housing Vermont
Housing Vermont is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization founded in May of
1988 for the purpose of producing permanently affordable housing for Vermonters
through partnerships with nonprofit groups and the private sector. The agency
raises private equity by selling federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits.
Vermont Center for Independent Living
(VCIL)
VCIL is a statewide nonprofit managed and staffed by persons with diverse
disabilities, providing support with solving problems related to housing, legal
and civil rights, living with a disability, adaptive equipment, attendant care,
transportation, employment, community support education, community
accessibility, recreation, communication and benefit programs through peer
advocacy counselors.
Vermont Community Loan Fund (VCLF)
VCLF is a nonprofit financial intermediary providing access to capital for
affordable housing, community facilities and small businesses.
Vermont Development Credit Union (VDCU)
A statewide Community Development Financial Institution, VDCU offers retail
banking services, consumer loans, mortgages and small business loans. VCDU
serves as the bank for thousands of low-income Burlington residents.
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
(VEIC)
VEIC promotes and implements energy efficiency programs for low-income
households, municipalities and businesses.
Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center
(VMEC)
VMEC helps small and medium size manufacturers improve their operations,
modernize processes, increase productivity, introduce new technologies, reduce
costs and become more competitive.
Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program (VRRP)
VRRP provides a variety of federally, state and privately funded services to
eligible refugees, including reception and placement services, case management,
employment services, ESL (English as a Second Language) and citizenship program
(including community, job-site and children's ESL classes), PRISM (Professional
Resources for Interpreter Services and Multilingualism), the NAVIGATOR Project
(a program for refugee-specific social adjustment and mental health services),
immigration assistance and family reunification, volunteer development,
resettlement community development, sponsorship training and development and
community education programs.
Vermont Businesses for Social
Responsibility (VBSR)
VSBR fosters a business ethic that recognizes the opportunity and
responsibility of the business community to set a high standard for protecting
the natural, human and economic environments of Vermont's citizens.
Vermont Sustainable Job Fund (VSJF)
VSJF, created in 1995 by the state legislature, provides grants and technical
assistance to Vermont businesses and organizations with a particular focus on
agricultural and forest products and environmental technology.
A number of local faith-based organizations assist in meeting the emergency
needs of homeless and low-income residents through meal programs and assistance
with clothing, shelter, utilities and other basic needs. These organizations
and/or their affiliated programs also help to develop housing and transportation
opportunities. These organizations include Cathedral Square Corporation,
Lutheran Social Services of New England, Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity,
the Salvation Army, the Burlington Ecumenical Action Ministry, the Joint Urban
Ministry Project, Mercy Connections, and the Burlington Emergency Shelter.
The roles that private industry can and does play in the helping the City to
meet its affordable housing goals include:
Services for Nonprofit Housing Developers
None of the nonprofit housing organizations supported by the City have their
own construction companies, architects, engineers or lawyers. Private industry
provides these skills and services on a fee-for-service basis to actually
complete housing projects, with the facilitation of nonprofit developers.
Developing Inclusionary Units
Private developers of residential projects are required to produce affordable
units under the City's Inclusionary Zoning ordinance.
Local Attorneys
Private attorneys provide pro bono legal services to low-income tenants who
are converting their building to co-op ownership or purchasing shares in an
existing cooperative.
The private sector supports and/or complements the City's community
development efforts in a number of ways:
Local Lenders
Burlington's banks have responded to a changing market and changing
obligations under the federal Community Reinvestment Act by finding a number of
innovative ways of support new housing models, new housing organizations and new
approaches to affordable housing production. Local lenders also support
neighborhood revitalization and small business development.
Fannie Mae
Fannie Mae is a private, shareholder-owned company operating under a
congressional charter with private capital. Fannie Mae will purchase up to $10
million of the end loans originated by local lenders through the Burlington
HomeOwnership Program, which uses many of Fannie Mae's community lending tools
that focus on various flexible mortgage options designed to increase
homeownership, such as lower down payment requirements and flexible
underwriting, and involve home-buyer education and counseling provided by
nonprofit organizations.
Business Community
The Burlington business community has been actively represented on most
community advisory committees. They have provided resources and opportunities
for residents to improve their quality of life.
Coordination and integration of housing and community development services in
the City is achieved through a variety of vehicles:
Burlington Anti-Racism Coalition (BARC)
BARC is an open group of community members, faith-based organizations, state
and city officials, and others who meet regularly to look at racism issues in
the community and to plan strategies to address those issues, including new
legislation, community study circles, walks and rallies, and merchant
anti-profiling initiatives.
Burlington Transportation & Parking Council
The Council is a public/private partnership which works to improve
transportation from and within Burlington's core and to provide adequate and
appropriately price parking for the City's visitors, employees and residents.
Champlain Initiative
The Champlain Initiative is a community-based initiative in Chittenden County
for sharing information, monitoring progress according to specific indicators,
collaboratively working on important community issues, and developing a process
for influencing how human and financial resources are directed so as to
strengthen the social, economic, cultural, spiritual and individual vitality of
the greater Chittenden County region. The Initiative includes people from the
business and religious communities, government (including the City of
Burlington), health care, education, human services, media, the arts, law
enforcement, environmentalism, youth, seniors, and consumer and community
advocacy groups.
Champlain Long Term Care Coalition
A group of care providers, advocates, consumers of services, municipal
representatives and other interested individuals has received a planning grant
to begin to improve systems in order to be prepared for long term needs in the
future.
Chittenden County Conflict Resolution
Representatives from municipalities, private non-profit agencies and the
State of Vermont that conduct conflict resolution, court diversion or
alternative justice programs in Chittenden County meet monthly to discuss
program overlap and marketing of services to the community and local law
enforcement agencies.
Chittenden County Continuum of Care Alliance
Continuum of Care services for the homeless are delivered through a
consortium of nonprofit organizations in the greater Burlington metropolitan
area, with the Committee on Temporary Shelter serving as the coordinating
entity. The Chittenden County Continuum of Care Alliance (Continuum Alliance)
coordinates services for families, youth and single adults who are homeless;
works collaboratively to ensure comprehensive and quality services and to obtain
and allocate resources; and advocates for the homeless.
The Continuum of Care meets monthly. Membership is open to all
community-based agencies in Chittenden County who provide direct services and/or
housing to people who are homeless or are at imminent risk of becoming homeless.
Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning
Organization (CCMPO)
The CCMPO is a planning organization that directs the allocation of federal
transportation funds, provides planning oversight and grants in Chittenden
County. The CCMPO has professional staff and a technical advisory committee, and
is guided by a 17-member board with a representative from each of the 17
communities.
Chittenden County Regional Planning
Commission
The Regional Planning Commission develops and administers the Regional Plan
and certifies that new development is consistent with that Plan in the Act 250
process.
Chittenden County Substance Abuse Coalition
Major substance abuse service providers in the county, and the state
Departments of Corrections and Social Rehabilitation Services, meet regularly.
Community Outreach Partnership Center
Using a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development,
the University of Vermont and the City are working with the community (and
particularly with the Old North End community) to further develop community
leadership and to improve access to affordable housing and economic
opportunities.
Early Childhood Council (CONNECTION) of Chittenden County
The Early Childhood CONNECTION meets monthly to coordinate educational and
human services for families of young children in their region. It includes
parents and other family members, child care providers and directors,
representatives from the District Health Office, Child Care Resource and
Referral, Parent Child Centers, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs, local community
centers, public schools (including special education service providers), family
advocacy organizations, Baird Center for Children and Families (the state mental
health agency), Champlain Valley Head Start, Women Helping Battered Women and
other related services, businesses, libraries, Visiting Nurse Association, and
others.
"Gang of Eight"
The Community & Economic Development Office convenes a monthly meeting of
nonprofit housing developers and advocates to share information, discuss City
policies and ensure the efficient use of public resources.
Old North End Storefront
A collaboration of programs serving the Old North End funded through the
State of Vermont Department of Corrections. A community drop-in center
where agencies share space and collaborate to provide community forums,
counseling groups and youth activities.
Refugee Service Providers Network (RSPNet)
The State Refugee Coordinator from the Vermont Agency of Human Services, the
Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program and other agencies providing services to
refugees in the local area meet monthly.
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