ARPA Funding Overview
Many manufactured housing communities (also known as mobile home parks) in Vermont struggle to provide clean and adequate drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and drainage systems. The Governor has proposed allocating $15 million in ARPA support to provide technical and financial assistance to remedy those challenges and support safe, affordable housing. The General Assembly has appropriated $3.25 million for this effort for state fiscal year 2022. This funding will provide grants to improve living conditions for people in manufactured housing communities and help residents follow Vermont's environmental regulations. Grants can be used to complete a needs assessment, receive technical assistance, and cover construction costs necessary to implement water infrastructure solutions.
Manufactured Housing Communities registered in the State of Vermont are encouraged to apply through July 27, 2022!
The application can be found at: https://bit.ly/MHCapplication
Take a look at the program's Infographic or FAQ page to learn more!
Watch a recording of the Q&A session held on June 29, 2022 or view the PowerPoint presentation.
Get on the list to get email updates on the program.
Eligibility
For-profit (private), non-profit, and cooperatively owned manufactured housing communities registered with the State of Vermont’s Mobile Home Park Registry can apply for funding through a competitive grant program. Grants can be used to determine what water infrastructure projects need to be completed, receive technical and permitting assistance including 3-acre stormwater permit assistance, or cover construction costs necessary to fix existing infrastructure issues. Additional funding is anticipated in future fiscal years.
Eligible projects
Needs assessments of manufactured housing communities for future drinking water / wastewater / stormwater / drainage projects
Technical assistance / engineering for supported drinking water / wastewater / stormwater / drainage construction projects
Technical assistance and permit fees for a 3-acre stormwater permit
Water source redevelopment / installations
Connections to municipal water / sewer projects
Installation / repair of on-site wastewater systems
Stormwater retrofits, installations, and developments
Improvements to site drainage including moving sites out of floodplains / river corridors
Water supply distribution system installations / repairs
Wastewater collection system installations / repairs
Application Assistance
Check out the FAQ page.
Do you need help coordinating state permits? The Office of Planning can help. Learn more about permit coordination assistance for ARPA-funded projects.
All questions about the application should be directed to Nicole Streeter, Grants Specialist at 802-461-6668 or Nicole.Streeter@vermont.gov.
For assistance filling out the application, contact Jackie Peterson at 802-461-7128 or Jacqueline.Peterson@vermont.gov.
Equity Considerations
This funding is targeted at providing water infrastructure grants to manufactured housing communities to invest in healthy, reliable infrastructure to address drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and drainage issues, resulting in healthier, more resilient living spaces for residents in manufactured housing communities, a historically underserved group in Vermont.
Manufactured housing communities are disproportionately impacted by environmental justice issues in Vermont. According to the Vermont Rural Environmental Justice Opportunities Informed by Community Expertise (REJOICE), during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, 40% of those impacted by Irene were manufactured housing community residents, even though these residents only make up 8% of the state’s population.
Research has shown that Vermonters, particularly low-income Vermonters, have disproportionately experienced increased impacts from COVID-19 compared to the general population of Vermont and the US. Additionally, manufactured housing communities typically represent a number of low-income Vermonters.
By focusing efforts on manufactured housing communities through technical assistance, needs assessments and construction grant programs, Vermont is providing direct relief and technical and financial assistance to a demographic of Vermont’s population that have historically been underserved, under-represented, and overburdened.
Learn more
An info session on this topic occurred on November 30, 2021. Watch the recording and view the PowerPoint presentation.
Other complementary funding sources include the USDA. More Information on existing funding and technical assistance for water infrastructure projects.
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