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Miro Weinberger
Former Mayor | Burlington, VT

ARP: Burlington VT, Double Housing Production, End Homelessness, and Support Renters

Idea Category: Housing | Funding Source: American Rescue Plan

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger will use $5 million in ARP funds, along with additional state and local funds, to spearhead an ambitious goal of doubling housing production and ending chronic homelessness in Vermont’s most populous city.

The initiative, announced in December 2021, aims to build 1,250 new homes over the next five years and end homelessness in the city in just three years. Weinberger stated that more than 300 of the new homes will be permanently affordable, and 78 of those will be dedicated to housing the formerly homeless. In order to accomplish the goal, Weinberger and other elected officials will change zoning regulations to build homes in enterprise districts and on underutilized properties.

Weinberger also expanded the city’s Property Tax Relief program, which provides financial relief to homeowners experiencing hardship during the pandemic. The program received $1 million of ARP funds and, so far, has distributed $470,000 in aid to about 330 households. The expanded eligibility criteria will help reach more families and ensure that the program is maximizing its impact in the community.