House Committee on General and Housing Agenda

House Committee on General and Housing

AGENDA

Room 31 and Zoom

January 16, 2024 - January 19, 2024

Last Updated 1/18/2024 1:14 PM

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-general-and-housing.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

10:00 AM House Floor

- Lunch and Caucuses

1:15 PM Vermont State Housing Authority

Kathleen Berk, Executive Director, Vermont State Housing Authority

- H. 686 - An act relating to measuring progress toward statewide and regional housing targets

Introduction and walk-through

Rep. Emilie Krasnow, Lead Sponsor

Jon Gray, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Maura Collins, Executive Director, Vermont Housing Finance Agency

- Budget Adjustment Act

Discussion and memo as needed

Faith Yacubian, Director, Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Melody Mackin, Commissioner, Truth and Reconciliation Commission - Invited

Maura Collins, Executive Director, Vermont Housing Finance Agency

Pollaidh Major, Director of Policy and Special Projects, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board

- Adjourn

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

9:30 AM Budget Adjustment Act 2024

Committee memo

Chad Simmons, Housing Policy and Engagement Specialist, Vermont Housing Finance Agency

- H. 684 - An act relating to creating a rental housing registry

Introduction

Rep. Jonathan Williams, Sponsor

- H. 449 - An act relating to creating a short-term rental housing registry

Introduction

Rep. Tesha Buss, Sponsor

- H. 675 - An act relating to issuing grants for permanent supportive housing

Introduction

Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun, Sponsor

- H. 756 - An act relating to short-term rental occupancy requirements

Rep. Kate Logan, Sponsor

12:00 PM Lunch

1:15 PM H. 663 - An act relating to requiring payment of the prevailing wage for State-funded storm repair and climate change mitigation projects

Introduction

Rep. Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, Sponsor

- Committee Organization

Discussion of priorities in the coming weeks

2:00 PM H. 132 - An act relating to establishing a homeless bill of rights and prohibiting discrimination against persons without homes

Julio Thompson, Director, Civil Rights Unit, Office of the Attorney General

Big Hartman, Executive Director & Legal Counsel, Vermont Human Rights Commission

Kelly Devine, Executive Director, Burlington Business Association

3:00 PM House Floor

- Adjourn

Thursday, January 18, 2024

9:15 AM Homelessness Awareness Day

Joint hearing with the House Committee on General and Housing Affairs and the House Committee on Human Services. The hearing will be held in Room 267 of the Pavilion Building and will be livestreamed HERE

Gus Seelig, Executive Director, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board

Kenneth Russell, Executive Director, Another Way Inc.

Jess Graff, Director, Franklin-Grand Isle Community Action

John Medeiros, Veteran with Lived Experience

Katherine Frazine, Person with Lived Experience

Rhubes Gould, Person with Lived Experience

Bryan Plant, Tenant, Lived Experience

Caprice Hover, Vermont State Housing Authority

Daniel Blankenship, Vermont State Housing Authority

Lily Sojourner, Interim Director, Department for Children and Families/Economic Services Division

Miranda Gray, Deputy Commissioner, Economic Services Division, Department for Children and Families

12:00 PM Lunch

1:15 PM H. 363 - An act relating to prohibiting discrimination based on certain hair types and styles

Austin Davis, Director, Government Affairs, Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce

Betsy Bishop, President, Vermont Chamber of Commerce

Amanda Garces, Director of Policy, Education and Outreach, Vermont Human Rights Commission

Julio Thompson, Director, Civil Rights Unit, Office of the Attorney General

- H. 647 - An act relating to creation of the Housing Board of Appeals

Rep. Thomas Stevens, Sponsor

Alex Farrell, Commissioner, Department of Housing & Community Development

Judge Thomas Zonay, Chief Superior Judge, Vermont Judiciary

Ben Frost, Deputy Executive Director, New Hampshire Housing

Gus Seelig, Executive Director, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board

3:00 PM House Floor

Following the Floor H. 297 - An act relating to providing workers’ compensation coverage for post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by certain State employees

Thomas Abdelnour, Legislative Coordinator, Vermont State Employees Association

- Adjourn

Friday, January 19, 2024

9:00 AM H. 132 - An act relating to establishing a homeless bill of rights and prohibiting discrimination against persons without homes

Austin Davis, Director, Government Affairs, Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce

9:30 AM House Floor

15 min after Floor H. 764 - An act relating to a study on employer-provided housing

Introduction

Rep. Matthew Birong, Sponsor

- H. 751 - An act relating to expanding equal pay protections

Introduction

Rep. Robin Chesnut-Tangerman, Sponsor

- Lunch

1:15 PM H. 686 - An act relating to measuring progress toward statewide and regional housing targets

Maura Collins, Executive Director, Vermont Housing Finance Agency

Alex Farrell, Commissioner, Department of Housing & Community Development

Shaun Gilpin, Housing Division Director, Department of Housing and Community Development

Austin Davis, Director, Government Affairs, Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce

Megan Sullivan, Vice President of Government Affairs, Vermont Chamber of Commerce

- Adjourn

ATTENTION WITNESSES

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

Ron Wild at rwild@leg.state.vt.us