Rental-to-condo conversion, UVM involvement, landlord accountability
By Paul Bean
A housing plan released January 9 by Joan Shannon, Democratic candidate for Burlington mayor, calls for crackdowns on bad landlords, working with the Univerties for long term housing solutions, and overcoming duplicate act 250 laws.
“I’ve spent the last 12 years of my career as a residential Realtor,” Shannon said. “While working with first time home buyers has not been the most lucrative part of the job, it has always been the most rewarding to me.”
Shannon, a resident of Burlington for 35 years, explains that housing has always been a problem. However post pandemic, the housing problem has only increased: “Between the increase in home values and the increase in interest rates, the monthly cost for an entry level home mortgage has more than doubled in 4 years.”
The March 5 election is the first with no incumbent mayor running since 2012. Longtime Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger is not seeking re-election and is considering a run for governor.
Some of Shannon’s housing strategies include:
- Allow conversions from rentals to condominium or cooperative home ownership.
- Establish long-standing and enforceable housing agreements with colleges and universities that include standards of how many students are housed on and off-campus
- Hold problematic landlords accountable through a fully-resourced code enforcement office properly empowered with housing standard policies that protect at-risk renters.
- Work with state leaders and mayors coalition to remove duplicative ACT 250 regulations in communities with robust zoning.
Read her full statement here.
Progressive candidate for mayor Emma Mulvaney Stanak’s plan includes:
- Collaborate with housing developers committed to the public good to expand affordable housing that prioritizes access to public transportation and job opportunities. Use the rezoning process to incorporate inclusionary zoning rules to leverage more affordable housing units.
- Explore rent stabilization policies and advocate for the just cause eviction charter change to pass the legislature so residents can have stable housing.
- Enforce the city’s existing short-term rental ordinance to leverage limited current housing stock for city residents.