This month’s Grants and Funding Chat will unlock housing solutions and how to fund them. Local governments play a pivotal role in shaping housing outcomes – not by building homes themselves, but by creating the conditions that make development possible. This webinar brings together housing experts to explore how municipalities can support affordable and workforce housing through strategic use of grants, incentives, and partnerships. Learn how to shift from “we must build” to “we must enable” and discover funding pathways that empower nonprofit and for-profit developers to deliver the housing your community needs.

Whether you're new to grants or looking to sharpen your competitive edge, you’ll leave understanding

• the role of “enabler,”
• funding mechanisms that support housing-related actions, and
• how communities of any size can attract and collaborate with for-profit and nonprofit housing developers.

Presenters
Bonnie Waninger, Project & Funding Specialist, VLCT
Jacob Hemmerick, Planning and Policy Manager, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
Leslie Black Plumeau, Research and Community Relations Director, Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA)
John Dunbar, Selectboard Vice Chair, Town of Rockingham and Co-Owner, Whitaker Properties 

About the Grants and Funding Chat Series

This bi-monthly series from our Project & Funding Specialist helps local government officials and staff learn about specific funding opportunities and ways to make their funding applications more competitive. Each topic-oriented event begins with a presentation then transitions to a participant Q&A, where attendees can ask questions of the presenter(s) and each other. Bring your questions, share your challenges, and learn from other communities.