[MTK1]

Affordable for who? The 65 percent of Vermonters that can't afford a house? According to the Vermont Housing Awareness Campaign, VT is one of most expensive states in the nation when it comes to housing. A few facts from the report Vermont Housing Awareness Campaign: Facts (http://www.housingawareness.org/facts.htm - broken link)

The median purchase price of a primary home in Vermont in 2007 reached $201,000, a 2 percent increase from the previous year and a 101 percent increase since 1996.

A Vermont household would need an annual income of $65,000 as well as $14,000 in cash (for closing costs and a 5 percent down payment) to purchase that home. Sixty-five percent of Vermont’s households have incomes below $65,000.

The median income for all Vermont’s households is $51,622. A household with that income could afford a home priced at about $158,000, assuming it has about $11,000 in cash for closing costs and down payment.

The median price for a newly-constructed home in Vermont rose to $317,900 in 2007, a 13 percent increase from 2006. A household would need an annual income of about $103,000 and $21,000 for closing costs and down payment to afford that new home.

The average Fair Market Rent for a modest, two-bedroom apartment in Vermont reached $836 in 2007, a 5 percent increase since the year before and a 49 percent increase since 1996.

A Vermont household would have to earn $16.07 per hour, or $33,342 annually, to afford that Fair Market Rent. At least 66 percent of Vermont’s non-farm employees — more than 178,868 people — work in occupations with median wages below that level.

Vermont had a shortage of 21,000 affordable rental units as of the most recent statewide housing needs assessment in 2005. Our state will need 12,900 more owner-occupied units by 2012. The current pace of housing construction is nowhere near what would be necessary to fill those gaps

Vermont has the highest rate of homelessness in New England, and the length of time people spend in homeless shelters in Vermont is increasing rapidly. In 2000, the average stay was 11 days. In 2007, it was 33 days.

[GypsySoul22]

See, I don't get all the numbers I hear tossed around in this state.

If this state is the least populated, then you'd think there would be a lot of jobs, right?
All I hear about is that young people are leaving in droves. That should leave a lot of jobs open for the rest of us, meaning more demand for workers, equaling better treatment & money.

I suppose it's all not so clearly black and white.

I also have a Masters Degree but because I am not able to be certified in VT, I am working out of my field for the elusive $10 an hour. The place is nice but that free soda doesn't help me pay my bills at the end of the month. I also work very, very hard for that money. I was making that 10 years ago before I quit work to have my son & stay home and raise him.

And, okay, maybe that was my dumb financial move (since apparently anyone without any $$ to buy a house has made 'mistakes' or whatever the justification is by the 'haves). I am not here to pick on Lilly, but I do believe you represent the people who have not had to scrap and struggle to make ends meet while trying to have families and lives.

I believe in sacrifice as well. We don't own big screen tvs. We have ONE car. We don't go on expensive trips, buy name brand clothes or whatever is the 'reason' people feel 'working folk' just can't manage their money to buy a house. My husband works nights, I work days. If that's not 'sacrificing' what is?

Vermont is nice but I cannot image myself staying here if the rest of my life is going to be 'chasing' after $12/hr jobs and watching the rich build BIGGER houses while my husband & I dream of owning a modular home. I could sit in NY and make a lot more money and do that.

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

I believe in sacrifice as well. We don't own big screen tvs. We have ONE car. We don't go on expensive trips, buy name brand clothes or whatever is the 'reason' people feel 'working folk' just can't manage their money to buy a house. My husband works nights, I work days. If that's not 'sacrificing' what is?

That really does sound like working hard for not a lot, and not paying for a lot of frills.

I am confused when I walk through Rutland in neighborhoods with lower priced housing and apartments and right outside Wal-Mart, and I see peopleare chain-smoking cigarettes (huge expense -- now and likely in future medical bills) and talking on cell phones that look pretty fancy to me. My friend who has worked in cable TV installation tells me that people who seem to have next to nothing are getting cable and satellite service.

I think that people of all incomes have equal rights to take up self-destructive habits or pay almost as much for TV & cell service as they do for food bills. Still, I don't know what to think when I see this kind of spending that I would not know how to fit into my budget and I am employed.

[greenmountaingirl]

Cell phones have generally replaced land lines for MANY people. I only have one to find my cell phone when I lose it. I kid. I have $15 (crappy) Vonage service for 6 months so I could save $700 on my computer, and I need an office number on my business cards.

As for cable, $15 a month for basic service shouldn't be considered an extravagance when you cannot get ANY stations without it. The days of rabbit ears are free channels are long gone. Do we NEED tv? Good gawd no. But who are we to dictate who is allowed to have it and who isn't?

And please, can we NOT turn this into a bashing of people in low-income housing? Not that you did at all, but I can see it easily sliding in that direction. Stereotyping is a favorite American past time, and none of us have the right to demand any behaviors cease based on income. If we could do that, you can be damn sure I'd have a very long list for the wealthy.

Gypsy:

(since apparently anyone without any $$ to buy a house has made 'mistakes' or whatever the justification is by the 'haves)

Thank you. I've felt that same judgment on many occasions. Sad, really, considering I've done everything in my power to be able to someday buy a home...but I guess somehow I'm a big failure and a loser because I can't live in this state and afford to save enough to a deposit simultaneously.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by greenmountaingirl

Cell phones have generally replaced land lines for MANY people. I only have one to find my cell phone when I lose it. I kid. I have $15 (crappy) Vonage service for 6 months so I could save $700 on my computer, and I need an office number on my business cards.

As for cable, $15 a month for basic service shouldn't be considered an extravagance when you cannot get ANY stations without it. The days of rabbit ears are free channels are long gone. Do we NEED tv? Good gawd no. But who are we to dictate who is allowed to have it and who isn't?

And please, can we NOT turn this into a bashing of people in low-income housing? Not that you did at all, but I can see it easily sliding in that direction. Stereotyping is a favorite American past time, and none of us have the right to demand any behaviors cease based on income. If we could do that, you can be damn sure I'd have a very long list for the wealthy.

Gypsy:
Thank you. I've felt that same judgment on many occasions. Sad, really, considering I've done everything in my power to be able to someday buy a home...but I guess somehow I'm a big failure and a loser because I can't live in this state and afford to save enough to a deposit simultaneously.

Just bouncing off you....I had to double check to see which forum I was on -- Long Island or Vermont -- as many of the arguments are the same for both locations, as GypsySoul will aver.

In both locations, folks are paying high rents in relation to their income. Having a foot in both states, I can assure you that electric, gas, fuel, insurance (auto and home) are much less expensive in VT, but the cost of food is comparable. That written, it doesn't do anything to help anyone who is busting their butt and getting no where fast. But I do understand the frustration my friends in both locations are feeling.

[GypsySoul22]

Yes, Bee...I agree...

[flu189]

Wow, quite a bit of stuff posted in the last 24 hours. The housing issues and overall employment picture in terms of positions available and wages paid is pretty much on the mark. Vermont is home to quite a substantial welfare class. Some just use the benefits out of absolute necessity with the intent of their situation being temporary, but there is also a substantial number who feel entitled to remain on the dole and display limited interest and motivation to become productive to lift themselves into a better situation. Granted, many of the rural areas present the difficulty of scarcity in employment, but even in Chittenden County with it's higher overall cost of living has plenty of college grads scrambling for wages to support themselves. In regards to consumerism, I totally agree that we have developed a culture where self gratification and keeping up with Joneses has resulted in many outspending their incomes, hence another major developing phase in credit troubles. Many are now either falling deeper into debt while seeing their credit essentially being shut off. The issue with Vermont and the actions of our representatives with their views and objectives does not sychronize with significant economic growth policy which would benefit the majority. Now with a nationwide economic downturn, inflation, and energy issues, Vermont will be even more hard pressed to be able to deal with affordable housing and luring meaningful business opportunity and growth to locate here, even if we were to review and revise our stifling regulatory and tax structures in short order. As a result the established demographic shift of young leaving and the more monied out of state second home owner and or retiree population will continue to locate here.

[mustmove]

I was at a general store this evening and the staff were joking about going on strike and demanding $10 an hour. The cost of housing isn't going to go down, just compare decent existing houses to the current cost of construction. The state needs prosperity, nothing else will work. In my opinion VT does everything possible to thwart economic growth and I'm not going to hang around waiting for change.

[vter]

Flu-there is an election coming up....want to run for the legislature? We need people like you in there!!

[Lilybeans]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

I am not here to pick on Lilly, but I do believe you represent the people who have not had to scrap and struggle to make ends meet while trying to have families and lives.

I don't take it as picking on me. I have worked all my life, stating with selling seeds and Christmas card door to door when I was a kid, two paper routes, worked washing dishes and mowing lawns, worked my way through school-full time and went to school full time. I don't have fancy cars or a big house. I know what it means to work for a living.