Committee adds request for manufactured-home services coordinator and four organizers to Appropriations letter

The House General & Housing committee agreed on Feb. 20 to add an item to its letter to the Appropriations Committee requesting funding for one manufactured-home resident services coordinator and four full-time statewide manufactured-home resident organizers.

Chair described the coordinator role as to be housed at CVOEO in Burlington "and it oversees manufactured home support for operations, data collection, and analysis." The chair said the four full-time resident organizer positions would be placed in the four remaining Community Action Program agencies serving Vermont: BROC, Capstone, SEFCA and NEC (Northeast Kingdom Community Action). Chair characterized the request as important and under consideration as a high-priority item in the committee's letter, though not the top priority.

Committee members provided background and support: one member said CVOEO "works with 7,000 of the residents that live in one of our home parks" across 238 parks statewide and described the program as severely understaffed. Another member noted the committee placing the request in a letter is a statement of priorities and "does not mean that they will get the money," underscoring that final funding decisions rest with Appropriations.

Members discussed related programs and prior funding cuts to landlord-liaison positions and statewide landlord-tenant education. The committee asked staff to relocate the new item to page 3 of the letter (before proposed legislation) and to circulate a redraft; staff agreed to prepare and distribute a clean copy and to coordinate with Miriam for circulation.

The committee indicated support for including the manufactured-home positions in the Appropriations letter and planned to forward the redrafted letter to Appropriations.