The Vermont State Housing Authority is looking for landowners in Hartford and the surrounding area who are interested in subdividing part of their properties to build single-family homes.
This year, the public corporation launched Move-In Vermont to connect with municipalities, nonprofits and private landowners who have vacant land they’d be willing to donate — or in the case of landowners, sell for $7,500.
The corporation will also pay for all subdivision costs and plans to install Clayton CrossMod factory-built manufactured homes on the properties, said Tyler Maas, director of program and housing development for VSHA.
VSHA, which works closely with state and federal agencies on affordable housing projects, is looking for those who “are interested in helping to create more housing in Vermont,” Maas said in a phone interview.
VSHA issued a “request for information” on May 18 for all interested parties and the applications will close Tuesday, June 30. Staff will review the applications and see if the sites are suitable for single-family homes. Those interested can learn more and apply at moveinvt.org.
Staff are looking for lots with access to municipal water and sewer systems, where town zoning allows for single-family home construction and that are not located in flood zones.
The corporation has identified “job centers,” including Hartford, Rutland, Brattleboro and Montpelier, where it would like to place two- to three-bedroom homes of 1,000 to 1,500 square feet, Maas said. The priority is for three-bedroom, two-bath homes.
“Those are the most desirable type of home,” Maas said, adding that all the homes would be one-story and need around .2 acres of land each. “We’re looking at a nice little home with a nice little yard.”
The Upper Valley, including Hartford, was included because of its proximity to major employers, including Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Dartmouth College. The Hartford area VSHA identified also includes parts of North Hartland, Norwich and Thetford, according to the map.
“We were hoping to do 20 homes in 2027 and we have already been offered more than 20 locations, so we’re going to be whittling it down,” Maas said, adding that VSHA is still looking for more applications.
The goal is to sell the homes for $250,000 to $325,000, though Maas emphasized final cost will be dependent on how much preparation work each lot requires.
The homes would be sold to households making between 100% and 125% of the Area Median Income, which for a family of four living in Windsor County is between $109,400 and $136,750, according to information from the Vermont Housing Finance Agency.
The program provides an opportunity to increase the availability of affordable single-family homes, she noted. The median sale price of a single-family home in Hartford in May 2026 was $405,500, according to the Vermont Association of Realtors.
“This is an opportunity for everyday people, workforce housing,” Hartford Housing & Development Specialist Lexi Webster said, adding that people who are employed as first-responders and teachers do not typically qualify for low income housing subsidies.
Webster, who is also staff liaison for the Hartford Committee on Housing & Homelessness, said she thinks the program could appeal to some landowners in Hartford.
She has heard from committee members and other residents who “want to to contribute to the housing (problem), but very few people have $400,000-plus for an (accessory dwelling unit) in their backyard,” Webster said in a phone interview. “I thought, ‘Wow this is a great idea.’ ”
People who subdivide their land could also see a reduction in taxes because they would have less acreage to tax, Webster said.
Town officials have been exploring whether there is municipal land they could contribute, though options in town are limited, Webster said. The majority of town-owned land is devoted to parks, and other parcels are in floodplains.
Twin Pines Housing Trust, a White River Junction-based nonprofit that supports and builds affordable housing in the Upper Valley, has submitted a plot of land it owns on Route 132 in Thetford to the Move-In Vermont program.
“That’s a site we think might make some sense for a pilot,” Executive Director Andrew Winter said, adding that the lot has its own well and septic system. “We’re really excited about any kind of program that allows us to meet the housing needs of moderate-income homebuyers.”
Twin Pines oversees a program that assists homebuyers with down payments. Recently, it helped people purchase four, two-bedroom, 1½-bath condos in Woodstock, Winter said. Among the homebuyers are two social workers and someone who works for a local bank.
“…Particularly in higher cost communities there are not a lot of affordable homeownership opportunities,” Winter said.
