Downstreet Housing & Community Development Receives $14.5 Million Towards Creating New Permanently Affordable Homes in Washington and Lamoille Counties
Downstreet Housing & Community Development has been awarded nearly $14.5 million in Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding to support new affordable housing developments in Washington and Lamoille counties.
With a regional strategy centered on communities most affected by the 2023 Vermont floods, Downstreet will advance four major housing developments across Barre, Montpelier, and Johnson. These communities experienced significant housing loss during the 2023 floods, and the new funding will help create flood-resilient, permanently affordable homes that allow Vermonters to remain in the places they live and work.
A portion of the award will support Stevens Branch Apartments in downtown Barre, a partnership between Downstreet and Evernorth. Expected to create 31 affordable apartments, the project will incorporate flood mitigation strategies and include three homes designated for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and five homes serving people exiting homelessness.
In Montpelier, the grant will support two housing developments on Heaton Street. The Heaton Homeownership project will create four permanently affordable single-family homes within Downstreet’s shared equity portfolio. Nearby, Downstreet will renovate an underutilized office building, transforming it into 21 new multifamily homes, adding much-needed rental opportunities to a recovering community.
In Johnson, Downstreet and Evernorth will undertake an adaptive reuse project on the Vermont State University campus, converting a vacant building and pairing it with new construction to create 25 new apartments. This development will breathe new life into a flood resilient part of the community.
“These efforts represent recovery and stability, and contribute to stronger, safer, and more equitable neighborhoods,” said Angie Harbin, Executive Director of Downstreet Housing & Community Development, who was invited to speak during Governor Scott’s funding announcement at the Statehouse on December 10, 2025. “They preserve historic buildings, deliver downtown infill development, increase climate resilience, and meet urgent affordable housing needs in communities deeply impacted by disaster.”
Affordable housing is an essential component of long-term disaster recovery, community resilience, and economic stability. Downstreet extends its deep gratitude to the communities, funders, and partners who will make these projects possible.
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