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Vermont State Housing Authority

1 Prospect Street
Montpelier, Washington County, Vermont 5602

Vermont State Housing Authority is a Public Housing Agency in Montpelier, Vermont that participates in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. As of January 26th, 2020, Vermont State Housing Authority has 2 waiting lists that are open now or opening soon.

The State of Vermont Disaster and Transitional Housing Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List is open indefinitely. The Project-Based Voucher Waiting List is open indefinitely.

Vermont State Housing Authority serves Vermont but does not serve Montpelier.

Waiting List Statuses
Waiting ListStatus
State of Vermont Disaster and Transitional Housing Housing Choice Voucher Open Until Further Notice
Project-Based Voucher Open Until Further Notice
State of Vermont General Housing Choice Voucher Closed
State of Vermont Mainstream Housing Choice Voucher Closed

Open Vermont State Housing Authority Waiting Lists

Open Until Further Notice: State of Vermont Disaster and Transitional Housing Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List

How To Apply to the Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List

The Vermont State Housing Authority (VSHA) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list for households that qualify for the Disaster and Traditional Housing preferences is currently open. Applications are being accepted from April 1, 2018, until further notice.

Please note: To qualify, households must be eligible for one of the following preferences:

  • Disaster Preference: This preference is available to families who are displaced due to fire, flood, natural
    disaster, or condemnation by a local, State, or Federal Agency.
  • Transitional Housing Preference: This preference is available to individuals and families who are Transitioning from one of the following programs administered by the Vermont State Housing Authority:
    • HUD’s Family Unification program for Youth In Transition;
    • The Vermont Rental Subsidy Program (a 12 month rapid rehousing initiative administered by the Vermont Agency of Human Services). Applications for this preference will be accepted only after 9 months of participation in VRS;
    • Individuals/families transitioning from a Domestic Violence Transitional Housing Program (currently on or eligible to be on the Continuum of Care Homeless Inventory Chart for homeless beds);
    • HUD’s Continuum of Care Programs administered by VSHA (Shelter plus Care and Rapid Rehousing)

There are three ways to apply during the opening period:

  1. Download and print the application online here. Select the "Full Application for Assistance" link next to the "Housing Choice Voucher Program" bullet point. If an applicant does not have access to the Internet, they can use a computer at a local library.
  2. Pick up an application from the VSHA office, located at One Prospect Street, Montpelier, VT 05602, from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm, Monday-Friday.
  3. Call the VSHA intake office at (802) 828‐1991.

This waiting list has the following preferences: Disaster; Move-on; Homeless Families with Case Management Support; Non-Elderly persons with disabilities transitioning out of institutions; Vermont Residents.

Selected applicants will be placed on the waiting list by date and time the application is received, weighed by order of preferences.

For more information, visit the VSHA website.

Reasonable Accommodation

Applicants who need help completing the application due to disability can make a reasonable accommodation request to the housing authority via (802) 828-3295.

Next Steps

Learn more about what happens after the application is submitted.

Last Updated on 08/08/2019.

Open Until Further Notice: Project-Based Voucher Waiting List

How To Apply to the Project-Based Voucher Waiting List

The Vermont State Housing Authority (VSHA) Section 8 Project-Based Voucher waiting list is currently open. Applications are being accepted since at least July, 2019, until further notice. Waiting lists for a specific community or bedroom size may be closed.

To apply during the opening period, download and print the application online here. Select the "Pre-application for assistance" link next to the "Project Based Voucher Program" bullet point. If an applicant does not have access to the Internet, they can use a computer at a local library.

This waiting list has the following preferences: Disaster; Move-on; Homeless Families with Case Management Support; Non-Elderly persons with disabilities transitioning out of institutions; Vermont Residents.

It is not known how applicants will be placed on the waiting list.

For more information, visit the VSHA website.

Reasonable Accommodation

Applicants who need help completing the application due to disability can make a reasonable accommodation request to the housing authority via (802) 828-3295.

IMPORTANT: This is not the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. Section 8 Project-Based Voucher tenants are required to live in a specific apartment community or scattered site. After one year of occupancy, a Project-Based Voucher tenant may request to be placed on a waiting list to receive the next available Housing Choice Voucher or similar tenant-based rental assistance.

Last Updated on 08/08/2019.

Other Vermont State Housing Authority Waiting Lists

Closed: State of Vermont General Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List

How To Apply to the Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List

The Vermont State Housing Authority (VSHA) General Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is currently closed. It was last open from April until June, 2015. Prior to that opening, it was last open in 2010. There is no notice of when this waiting list will reopen.

There were three ways to apply during the opening period:

  1. Complete the online application.
  2. Pick up an application from the VSHA office.
  3. Call the VSHA intake office.

For more information, visit the VSHA website.

Last Updated on 07/26/2019.

Closed: State of Vermont Mainstream Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List

How To Apply to the Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List

The Vermont State Housing Authority (VSHA) Mainstream (Non-Elderly Disabled) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is currently closed. Applications were last accepted from August 1, 2019, until January 1, 2020. There is no notice of when this waiting list will reopen.

Please note: According to the VSHA, "An eligible family will be composed of one or more non-elderly person with disabilities (meeting HUD’s
definition of disability) and be a person 18 years of age or older and less than 62 years of age."

There were three ways to apply during the opening period:

  1. Open and print the application online.
  2. Pick up the application from the VSHA office.
  3. Call the VSHA's intake office.

This waiting list had the following preferences: Disaster; Move-on; Homeless Families with Case Management Support; Non-Elderly persons with disabilities transitioning out of institutions; Vermont Residents.

It is not known how applicants were placed on the waiting list.

For more information, visit the VSHA website.

Last Updated on 01/09/2020.

About Vermont State Housing Authority

More information about Vermont State Housing Authority can be found on its website at http://www.vsha.org/.

Representatives of Vermont State Housing Authority may be available by phone at (802) 828-3295. Unless otherwise noted above, applications will not be provided or accepted by phone.

HCV Portability Status

As of 01/26/2020, it is not known if Vermont State Housing Authority is either absorbing or billing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher portability requests for porting in. Learn more about porting Housing Choice Vouchers to a new area here.

About the Vermont State Housing Authority Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

As of the HUDs most recent Voucher Management System report, Vermont State Housing Authority manages 3,517 active Housing Choice Vouchers.

The following is a summary of the types of vouchers managed and the monthly costs of each as of September 30th, 2019:

Standard Homeownership Family Unification Tenant Protection Ported Out VASH Non-Elderly Disabled
Vouchers 2,539 72 348 65 48 174 271
Monthly Cost Per Voucher $630 $494 $866 $475 $609 $510 $606
Monthly Cost $1,600,261 $35,600 $301,477 $30,847 $29,208 $88,697 $164,176

Household Characteristics of Voucher Holders for Vermont State Housing Authority

Waiting List and Tenancy

According to the 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households database, the housing authority's voucher program has an annual turnover of 10% having issued approximately 357 vouchers in the past year. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 8 years and 9 months. According to the 2016 PSH database, persons who were issued a voucher in the preceding 12 months waited an average of 8 months on the waiting list1.

Income Characteristics

According to 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households data, the average voucher household contains 2 persons and has a household income of $14,272 per year. 96% of households were very low income (VLI) and 74% were extremely low income (ELI). 19% of households had wages as a major source of income, 8% of households had welfare (TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance) as their primary source of income, and 71% of households had other income (Social Security, Disability or Pension) as their major source of income.

Heads of Household Characteristics

4% of households were headed by a person 24 years old or less, 44% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 26% were headed by a person 51 to 60 years old, and 27% were headed by a person 62 years old or older. In addition, 2% of households were headed by a person 85 years old or older.

35% of households included children, 8% of which had two adults in the household. 31% of households with children have a female head of household. 71% of all households were headed by a female.

5% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 2% of all heads of households being Black and 0% being Hispanic.

Of all households participating in the Vermont State Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher program, 37% include at least one person with a disability. 58% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 72% of households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.

Bedroom Size and Overhousing

47% of voucher holders reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom, 33% with 2 bedrooms and 20% with 3 or more bedrooms. 11% of voucher recipients are considered overhoused, meaning they occupy a rental unit larger than their family size requires.

Rent, Assistance, and Utility Allowances

The average monthly tenant contribution to rent by Vermont State Housing Authority voucher holders in 2016 was $360 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $745. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $110.



1. This Picture of Subsidized Households data field is the average wait time of those who received a voucher in the preceding 12 months. Due to special voucher programs like VASH, recent waiting list purges, or waiting list preferences the average wait time can vary significantly from one year to the next and it is entirely possible many current applicants on the waiting list have been waiting for assistance for far longer.

Low Income Housing Managed by Vermont State Housing Authority

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