Table of Contents
Grants For Home Owners Behind On Mortgage Payments
Grants For Renters And Landlords
Vermont COVID Agricultural Assistance Programs

Grants For Home Owners Behind On Mortgage Payments

Vermont COVID Emergency Mortgage Assistance GRANT Program

First Come, First Serve.  Apply before August 31st 2020.  You can apply online at https://www.vhfa.org/map/ or if you can’t apply online, contact VHFA by mail: MortgageAssistance@vhfa.org, or phone: 802-652-3421, Toll-Free: 888-714-2260.

If you live in Vermont, have made $15,000 in the last 90 days and you are behind on your mortgage payments, you may be eligible to receive assistance for up to 6 months of your past due mortgage payments.  The program is administered by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA).

If you are awarded a grant, the funds will be paid directly to the mortgage servicer and you will not be responsible for paying it back. Because these funds are disaster relief funds, it is VHFA’s understanding that the grant is not taxable and mortgagor will not receive a 1099, but check with your tax advisor.

Start by making sure VHFA can contact the right person about your mortgage.  Write or call the bank or mortgage company that services your loan and ask for the name and telephone number of the person VHFA should call about your mortgage, and authorize them to speak with a representative of VHFA.  For sample request letter containing of the required information please click here. 

Funds may go fast, so apply as soon as possible.  VHFA will prioritize lower income applicants when feasible, but there are no guarantees of funding.  If funds remain available after the initial round of eligible applications are funded, VHFA will open up a separate round of funding.

Owners of mobile homes in mobile home parks are eligible under this program.  They are also eligible for assistance with their lot rental payments through the Vermont Rental Housing Stabilization Program.  Apply online for lot rent assistance or call VT State Housing Authority at 802-828-2040.

Note:  A grant doesn’t relieve you of responsibility for outstanding amounts not covered by the grant. For general questions, visit https://www.vhfa.org/map/faq or call Vermont Legal Aid/ Legal Services hotline at 800-889-2047 or go to https://www.vhfa.org/map/who-can-help-me . 

Grants For Renters And Landlords

Vermont Rental Housing Stabilization Grant Program

First Come, First Serve.  Apply as often as needed before December 30, 2020.  Applications & Program Information can be found here. If you are unable to fill out the form, please contact: • Tenants call VT Legal Aid – 1-800-889-2047 or fill out Legal Help Request Form. • Landlords call VT Landlords Association - 802-985-2764 or 888-569-7368 (no membership required).  RACDC is also able to help tenants or landlords in our service area.  Contact us at 728-4305 or accounting@racdc.com.

This is a program to prevent evictions by providing money to landlords on behalf of tenants.  This program has one two page Application for the tenant and for the landlord that are quick to fill out. Tenant Application link.    Landlord Application link.  If the tenant applies, the landlord has option of receiving all months due, but must certify and be bound by all program requirements, such as ceasing any eviction proceedings, and ensuring that the unit is not in substantial violation of health and safety codes. If the tenant fails to apply for a grant within ten working days, the landlord will still be entitled to receive partial payment of arrears (½ of past due rent) and will retain the right to evict or proceed with an eviction.  It is best if the landlord and tenants communicate and the two applications are submitted together.  Decisions are made within 10 working days, and funds are transferred electronically.  If an award is denied, the applicant has 10 days to appeal. Frequently Asked Questions.  The grant may also be used to house families receiving Reach Up funds, or to help households in unsustainable rentals to secure more suitable housing.

This grant will be ongoing until December30th or until the $25 million in grant funding runs out. This is a grant and does not have to be paid back. Please go to this link to upload the application

Fill in all of the questions, save a copy and the email the form to Rentrelief@vsha.org

Vermont State Rental Rehab Grant Program for Rental Repairs

First Come, First Serve.  Applications will be available soon through the area’s Neighborworks Organizations.  Central Vermont is being handled through Downstreet.  For more information, contact Pattie Dupuis, Director of Homeownership Services at (802) 477-1343 or pdupuis@downstreet.org.

Through the new program, landlords can receive a grant of up to $30,000 per rental unit (maximum award limit of 15 units per owner applies). This is a new program under development, and applications are not ready just yet, but anyone interested in applying for a grant should sign up here to receive updates and an application when it becomes available.

To be eligible, landlords must: match 10% of the project cost with their own funds; use funds to renovate occupied or vacant apartments with code violations; develop the scope of work, hire the contractors, and ensure that all necessary permits are obtained and the work is done properly; complete work by 12/20/20 (no payments made for work done after 12/20/20); and work with Downstreet and the Continuum of Care Program (a HUD program designed to promote a community-wide commitment to ending homelessness).

After receiving the funds, the landlord can only charge tenants the HUD Fair Market Rent for the next five years.  This maximum adjusts every year. Current figures for Orange County are:  Studio/Efficiency: $746; 1-bedroom: $751; 2-bedroom: $989; 3-bedroom: $1,280; and 4-bedroom: $1,401.

Vermont COVID Agricultural Assistance Programs

Agriculture and Working Lands Assistance Application

First come, first served.  Apply starting the week of August 17, 2020 until October 1, 2020 or until funds run out.    Subscribe to Vermont Agency of Agriculture to be notified.

The Vermont State Legislature appropriated $8.5 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds in Act 138 (S.351), Act 137 (H. 966), and Act 120 (H.961) for Agriculture and Working Lands Assistance, designated as follows: 

$5 million was designated to Agricultural Producer and Processor Assistance, for farmers, meat and poultry processors, slaughterhouses, and farmers markets;

$2.5 million was appropriated to the Working Lands Enterprise Fund for agricultural, food and forest, and wood product industries; and

$1 million was appropriated for the COVID-19 Working Lands Program for agriculture, food, and market businesses. 

This application will be administered by the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets in partnership with Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA), and is open to eligible farmers, meat and poultry processors, slaughterhouses, farmers markets, agricultural food products businesses, forest products businesses, and producer associations. 

Before applying, applicants should complete a W-9 form and gather documentation of losses and costs incurred since March 1, 2020 that are related to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture will hold three webinars for potential applicants. Each webinar will cover information about the source of funds, eligibility, reporting requirements, and technical instruction on how to complete a successful application, followed by a Q & A session. Webinars will be recorded and posted to this page. 

Additional information is on the Vermont Agency of Department of Agriculture, Food and Markets site, including webinars to learn more about grant limits, eligibility, sectors and definitions, and application requirements.  For more information, contact the Agency at (802) 828-2430 select #9 or by email at AGR.CovidResponse@vermont.gov.