Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lamoille Housing Partnership’s mission statement? The Lamoille Housing Partnership (LHP) collaborates with communities to create and preserve quality affordable housing opportunities for Hardwick and Lamoille County.
Is Lamoille Housing Partnership a nonprofit? Yes, Lamoille Housing Partnership is a 501c3 registered nonprofit. Our tax ID number is 22-3177209.
What is affordable housing? Affordable housing is generally defined as “housing on which the occupant is paying no more than 30% of gross income for housing costs, including utilities” (United States Department of Housing & Urban Development.)
Who does Lamoille Housing Partnership’s mission serve? Our mission serves low and moderate income earning households that earn between 30% up to 120% of the area median income. Our residents include families, members of the workforce, older people, people with disabilities, veterans, and people who have experienced homelessness.
Do Lamoille Housing Partnership renters pay rent? Yes. Monthly rental rates are income based and reflect the US Department of Housing & Urban Development’s affordability thresholds, designed so that renters’ access to basic needs is not compromised by disproportionately high housing costs.
What is Lamoille Housing Partnership’s service area? We serve communities in Lamoille County as well as the Town of Hardwick in Caledonia County. Currently, Hardwick is the only community that we serve outside of Lamoille County.
How is Lamoille Housing Partnership’s work funded? As a nonprofit organization, Lamoille Housing Partnership relies on a combination of public and private funding sources to advance affordable housing developments from pipeline to completion in local communities, and to rehabilitate existing properties. Funding sources include local level fundraising and donations, town appropriated funds, federal and state grant funding, private grant and foundation funding, as well as low income and historic preservation tax credits. Developer fees collected from completed projects are integral to LHP’s business model sustainability, these fees are garnered through investment capital that is raised to fund projects - these sources include federal, state, local and private entities. Read more about the purpose, use & impact of fundraising.
Affordable housing development seems expensive compared to privately developed housing, why is that? The price tag for affordable housing development may seem high, however it’s important to remember that nonprofit affordable housing developers like Lamoille Housing Partnership prioritize our residents and the communities we serve by investing in high quality, healthy housing stock. A higher up front investment provides our residents a safe, healthy home in which to live in dignity, and provides valuable and vital housing assets that communities can rely on for years to come. The following development factors all contribute to the cost of affordable housing development: economy of scale, type of project, historic preservation, energy efficiency, resident supportive services and programs, number of funding sources, cost of labor and materials, local zoning and permitting, multiple and often uncoordinated approval processes, Act 250, infrastructure, capital reserves, and Vermont policy priorities. For a more in depth picture, we recommend watching this educational video from the Vermont Housing Finance Agency.
How many apartments are in Lamoille Housing Partnership’s portfolio, and where are they located? We have a little over 280 affordable rental apartments in our development portfolio. Our developments are located in Jeffersonville, Johnson, Morrisville, Stowe, and Hardwick. Checkout LHP’s affordable housing development portfolio to see examples of our work in local communities.
Does Lamoille Housing Partnership pay property taxes? Yes, Lamoille Housing Partnership pays annual property taxes on each of our affordable housing sites. On average, our annual property tax payments to local communities totals over $235,000.
How long do Lamoille Housing Partnership projects take to develop? The pace of our project development and completion can span several years. Our development team spends a significant amount of time researching and exploring a multitude of possible project opportunities in our area, although only a small percentage of these possible projects move ahead.
Does Lamoille Housing Partnership offer resident support services? At this time, our resident support services are limited to the Support And Services At Home program partnership. Beyond this, we focus exclusively on affordable housing and inclusive community development projects. Lamoille Housing Partnership is not currently equipped to be a human service provider, and does not offer tenant case management or supportive housing liaison services. We look to and rely on the expertise of established human service organizations in our service area communities to meet resident needs.
Who is Alliance Property Management? We partner with Alliance Property Management to manage our properties. Alliance Property Management’s role includes overseeing the housing application process, acting as a first point of contact for residents, facilitating property maintenance, and asset management.
Does Lamoille Housing Partnership accept Section 8 vouchers? Yes.
Am I eligible for Lamoille Housing Partnership rental housing? Please contact Alliance Property Management for any inquiries related to eligibility and income requirements.
How is Lamoille Housing Partnership different than a private landlord? Lamoille Housing Partnership’s business model and mission in action is based on preserving housing affordability for our residents. Lamoille Housing Partnership’s monthly rental rates are income based and reflect the US Department of Housing & Urban Development’s affordability thresholds, designed so that renters’ access to basic needs is not compromised by disproportionately high housing costs.
I want to make a financial contribution, how does Lamoille Housing Partnership use my donation? Donations and donor funds are used towards local housing needs and assessment studies, feasibility studies, permitting, site assessments, and environmental review, as well as additional required, resource intensive aspects of affordable housing development. Learn more on the Donation Purpose, Use and Impact page: www.lamoillehousing.org/housing-opportunity-fund
Does Lamoille Housing Partnership accept donations of household items and goods? While we appreciate the thought, Lamoille Housing Partnership is not set up to receive or distribute donations of household items and goods. We recommend donating items of this nature to ReSource or writing a Front Porch Forum post to find a new home for your items.
Does Lamoille Housing Partnership have an e-newsletter? Yes, you may subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/c8Mrtf
Is Lamoille Housing Partnership on social media? Yes, you can find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, our handle is @lamoillehousing.
