How Community Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP) Supports Capital Stacks for Much-Needed Housing

AARP Vermont partnered with Smart Growth America (SGA), through AARP’s Livable Communities Technical Assistance Program (LC-TAP), to study the proposed Community Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP) and its potential impact on housing development. The LC-TAP program provides the capacity to help AARP State Offices guide policies and projects to support communities to be vibrant and accessible for people of all ages. Addressing housing needs is a vital goal for the Livable Communities Program, including supporting the delivery of homes appropriate for multi-generational living, aging in place, and meeting accessibility needs.

SGA is also working with AARP Vermont through LC-TAP on a forthcoming review of the state’s current approach to Tax Increment Financing (TIF) compared to other states across the US that have successfully leveraged infrastructure funding to enable smart growth and increased housing production. This effort aims to compare key policy elements and requirements to Vermont’s current approach and to support exploration of new approaches to fund infrastructure for housing, such as CHIP.

Vermont Economic Overview for Housing
Vermont faces a confluence of challenges in its housing sector, as a Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) report from summer 2024 highlights:

• Vermont will likely need an additional 24,000 to 36,000 homes by 2029.
• Between 2019 and 2023, the purchase price for single-family homes increased by 38%.
• Between 2019 and 2023, the purchase price for mobile homes with land increased by 37%.

Click Here for the Full Analysis of CHIP.