Striving for Equity Project

CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project is excited to announce our newest initiative, the Striving for Equity Project.

CVOEO’s Striving for Equity Project supports local housing committees and promotes avenues for citizen housing advocacy to increase the amount inclusive, affordable housing that meets local housing needs. The Striving for Equity Project recognizes that in order to further equitable access to housing, the voices of the people who have historically been denied equal access to housing need to be centered in development processes. Working with community groups and statewide partners, this new initiative will identify what barriers community members face to engaging with their local and regional housing advocacy efforts and develop community-based housing advocacy resources. Our goal is to connect and support local housing committees/commissions, foster new connections with community-lead housing advocacy efforts, and increase access to vital resources.

This project is a part of CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project’s greater mission of furthering Fair Housing and equal opportunity in housing. As such, the focus is on ensuring paths for the people most impacted by the housing shortage to make their needs heard, especially those who have historically been barred access to Fair Housing.

The Striving for Equity project is a continuation of the Thriving Communities initiative, which seeks to increase awareness about the importance of inclusive, affordable housing and support Vermont municipalities in their efforts to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing. It is funded through a HUD Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) grant.

Are you part of a housing committee/commission, or a community-based group doing housing advocacy, or you are interested in plugging into one of these groups? Please take a few minutes to fill out our survey

To learn more about the project, click here.

Housing Committee/Commission Resources

Check out the Housing Ready Toolbox, an online resource to help communities assess their housing needs and identify gaps, with tips for starting and enhancing housing committees, model zoning bylaws, outreach recommendations, and links to other state resources and guidance, such as Zoning For Great Neighborhoods. It is intended to stimulate community conversations, local leadership, and policy change, as needed, to increase inclusive, fair, and affordable housing.

Housing-Ready Toolbox

Vermont Housing Resource (Striving for Equity Project)

Questions? Contact Us.

Corrine Yonce
Striving for Equity Project Manager
cyonce@cvoeo.org