Thank You for Helping Us Build Homes and Community

 Dear Friends,

At Downstreet, we’ve always believed that a home is the starting point for everything else: security, opportunity, belonging, health. That belief has guided us for nearly forty years, and thanks to friends like you, it’s shaping a future alive with possibility for Central Vermont.
 
Over the past year, our work has grown in both reach and depth. We opened 30 beautiful apartments at Fox Run in Berlin and welcomed new American families into freshly rehabilitated homes in Montpelier. We transformed the historic Ward 5 School in Barre into nine affordable apartments for our lowest-income neighbors, and ensured that dozens of people in crisis had safe shelter and caring support at the Speranza Inn. We also brought Lamoille Housing Partnership’s portfolio under Downstreet’s stewardship, safeguarding more than 230 homes in Lamoille County and knitting together resources that strengthen the entire region’s housing network.
 
Each of these moments represents something bigger: a commitment to lasting affordability, dignity, and choice for every neighbor.
 
Looking ahead, the coming year promises to be just as dynamic. Construction is continuing on the Speranza Inn; on Marsh House Apartments, which will add 26 new homes in Waterbury next spring; on housing in Randolph for individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and on new permanently affordable homes in Montpelier, Johnson, and Barre. At the same time, we’re expanding support services for residents, while continuing to weave equity, sustainability, and belonging into every project we touch.
 
Alongside these projects, we’re investing in the people and systems that make them possible by building staff capacity and modernizing operations. Even as Vermont’s housing needs grow more complex, we’re determined to meet them with creativity, steady leadership, and a clear focus on what matters most: helping people put down roots and thrive.
 
It isn’t always easy—construction costs are high, and the need for safe, affordable housing is greater than ever—but together we’ve shown what’s possible.
 
None of this progress happens on its own. It happens because of partnerships with public agencies, local businesses, service providers, volunteers, and neighbors like you who share a vision of strong, inclusive communities. Your belief in this work fuels the momentum that keeps us moving forward, even in challenging times.
 
Thank you for walking with us and helping make Central Vermont a place where everyone has a chance to live, grow, and belong.

With warm appreciation,

Angie Harbin
Executive Director