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The Need for Housing in Brattleboro

Sue Fillion

Planning Director, Town of Brattleboro

802-251-8112

sfillion@brattleboro.org

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Community Engagement

Steering Committee
Stakeholder interviews
Focus Groups
Community Survey
Public presentations

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Housing Action Plan (2021)

“There is a pressing need for over 500 housing units in Brattleboro, of which nearly 60% are needed for those with incomes under $50,000.

A variety of housing types and price points are needed, however, attainable-level rental units in the downtown and surrounding areas are an urgent need.”

There is a dramatic undersupply of housing units in Brattleboro at present. With over 500 new units needed across various market segments, according to our forthcoming Housing Needs Study, the demand for new housing is so high that it is likely to take place anywhere that could possibly support it. While Brattleboro's population remains stagnant, the number of single-person households continues to grow, requiring innovative solutions to changing market preferences. For that reason, it is absolutely imperative that Brattleboro work to reduce barriers where applicable and structure growth so that it benefits the community without undue environmental destruction. Without updates of bylaws to ensure Smart Growth, there is a risk of improper development occurring that could permanently mar the landscape.

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Middle Housing Building Types

House-scale buildings with multiple units in walkable neighborhoods

The Bylaw Modernization Grant project for Brattleboro will allow for a critical appraisal of present land use and zoning regulations to determine where undue regulatory barriers to housing exist and eliminate them to best facilitate housing starts in a manner that is consistent with best planning practices. Recent rezonings have significantly improved the conditions for new housing starts, but there is additional room for improvement as the crisis continues to intensify. As time progresses, we are consistently finding that the 2015 rezoning has stabilized neighborhood character, but is not equipped to allow for many much-needed kinds of infill housing development. As local and state level priorities for best land use practice dictate the conservation of prime agricultural land, forest blocks, ecological habitat, and scenic viewsheds, the number of green field development sites appropriate for housing development in Brattleboro are quite limited, and the best solution for housing growth is through infill and incremental redevelopment. The Bylaw Modernization Grant will lay the groundwork for Brattleboro to facilitate incremental, accessible, and context-appropriate housing on the regulatory side, allowing for future planning efforts to actualize that potential through supply side interventions outside the scope of this proposal.

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Community Engagement

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Community Walks

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Take Action!

Review your Zoning – Brattleboro’s zoning is not 50 years old (it is from 2015) and we still find barriers
Take advantage of grants to do the planning and regulatory reform – Municipal Planning Grant and Bylaw Modernization Grant

Don’t expect people to show up at meetings – go to them!
Cultivate small scale developers