By Guy Page

MONTPELIER — What’s happening behind the scenes in the Burlington mayor’s office, the business community and on the City Council and Gov. Phil Scott’s recent executive order aimed at boosting housing construction will be the focus of discussion on Hot Off The Press today on WDEV Radio.

The program begins at 11:05 PM. Call in at 802-244-1777. The show will kick off with the day’s top headlines. Then Kolby LaMarche of the Burlington Daily News will report on last week’s seismic changes in the administration of Mayor Emma Mulvaney Stanak and the City Council’s response and actions last night. 

In the second half of the program, airing from 11:05 a.m. to noon, host Guy Page will be joined by Ben Kinsley of Campaign for Vermont. Listeners will have the chance to call in with questions and comments about how the order might impact housing affordability and availability.

Kinsley, who recently authored an op-ed on the subject, argues that Vermont’s housing crisis shows up in everyday life through high rents, short-staffed workplaces, rising property taxes, and an aging population. “With an annual deficit of over 5,000 housing units, families are being priced out, young people are leaving, and our economy is suffering,” he wrote.

Regulatory changes and cost savings
The executive order allows builders to choose between the 2020 or 2024 Residential Building Energy Standards (BES), avoiding certain costly requirements such as advanced air sealing. Compliance savings are estimated between $1,000 and $12,000 per project.The 2024 BES also impose stricter requirements for heat pumps; the 2020 BES don’t.

Supporters say this strikes a balance between affordability and environmental responsibility, with the Department of Public Service continuing to encourage higher standards voluntarily. A report in 2026 will analyze whether the flexibility has unintended impacts on long-term energy costs.

The order also directs agencies to propose fee reductions for multi-family housing targeting median-income families and to defer certain fees until project completion—changes Kinsley says could help lower rents and home prices at a time when a quarter of Vermont renters spend more than half their income on housing.

Permitting and wetlands rules
Another provision narrows wetlands oversight to mapped Class II wetlands and reduces buffers to 25 feet in designated growth areas such as downtowns and opportunity zones. The intent is to speed up permitting and give developers greater certainty.

The move could help expand programs such as the Vermont Housing Improvement Program, which has already rehabilitated about 1,000 units since 2020 at an average state investment of $40,000 per unit.

Kinsley said today’s discussion will explore whether the executive order is “bureaucratic tinkering” or a bold attempt to cut red tape and get more homes built.

An excerpt from Kinsley’s op-ed:

“As Vermonters, many of us have felt the pinch of our state’s housing shortage. Although we may not realize it; our state’s housing crisis manifests itself in our high rents, short-staffed workplaces, increasing property-tax burden, aging population, and rising healthcare costs. Making our state inaccessible to young working families has significant consequences.

“With an annual deficit of over 5,000 housing units, families are being priced out, young people are leaving, and our economy is suffering. Last month, Governor Scott signed an Executive Order that is a sweeping directive aimed at promoting housing construction and rehabilitation. As a public policy wonk, I dug into this EO in an attempt to determine if it’s simply bureaucratic tinkering or if it’s a bold attempt to cut red tape, lower costs, and get more homes built.”

If you missed any episode of Hot Off The Press, the VDC news and call-in radio show on WDEV Monday – Friday from 11:05 AM – noon, listen here on VDC or on the Podcast Page of WDEVradio.com.