Homes for Hartford
As we all know, Hartford, the region and much of the U.S. are facing a serious housing crisis. To work on developing solutions, the Town of Hartford applied for and received a Vermont Municipal Planning Grant to update the Housing Chapter of the Town Plan. In 2022, the grant was awarded. The Town prepared a Request for Proposals and hired the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission to work with Town staff and the Planning Commission. Also, an ad hoc Steering Committee (a subcommittee of the Planning Commission) began meeting in the fall. The Steering Committee is comprised of the Planning Commission and representatives from several Town Commissions and organizations to work with staff and the consultant to focus on goals, strategies and solutions.
A key part of the project is an extensive public process. This includes four community forums. The Town is also working with Junction Arts & Media (JAM, formerly CATV) to design a multimedia booth with options for public comments about housing. The booth will be housed at JAM’s facility at the Newberry Market on South Main Street in Downtown White River Junction and eventually will rotate to different venues around Hartford. Stay tuned for an announcement of the multimedia booth kick-off.
The first community forum was held on February 28, 2022, and focused on the current status of housing. Click on the links below to access slides presented and video of the consolidated group discussion and three break-out discussion groups.
Data Slides from the 2/28 Community Discussion Link
Videos of the 2/28 Community Discussion and Breakout Sessions
Large Group Discussion: Click Here
Breakout Sessions:
- Housing Availability - Click Here
- Housing Type - Click Here
- Housing Affordability - Click Here
This website will be updated so check in periodically.
If you have any comments or questions, please contact Town Planner Matt Osborn at mosborn@hartford-vt.org.