Striving for Equity Project

NEW! Mini-grants for local housing committee/commissions

Application deadline: Friday, Feb. 28

Grant Applicant Info Meeting: Friday, Feb. 21 12:30-1pm via Zoom REGISTER HERE

CVOEO will award 8-10 Vermont Housing Committees with mini grants of $500-$1,000 each to be used for educational and outreach events and materials, increasing accessibility for housing committee activities, and stipends to help diversify housing committee membership and participation. Each grant award includes technical assistance from Fair Housing Project staff and a quarterly gathering with other grantees.

Eligibility: This grant is open to Vermont Housing Committees. This included formal municipal commissions, informal advocate groups, and anything in between. If you are not sure if your group is eligible, please contact Jess Hyman at jhyman@cvoeo.org or 802-660-3456 Ext. 106.

Application Link: https://forms.office.com/r/q6BvrtJnNq

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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 the Fair Housing Project’s greater mission of furthering Fair Housing and equal opportunity in housing. It 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.

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

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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.

fhp@cvoeo.org