BARRE, Vt. (WCAX) – Flood recovery and housing needs are turning into a connected conversation in the Granite City.
Recovery from July’s flooding continues for many Vermont communities, especially Barre City, which was devastated by flood waters.
“We lost a number of volunteers because they had to leave the area after the flood, because they lost their housing and there was nothing to move into,” said Freesia Perricone of Rainbow Bridge Community Center.
We reported in December that the city was looking to turn a parking lot into housing. Now, similar plans are in the works to create even more units.
“Barre could certainly use affordable housing before the floods – but certainly after,” said Cory Wilson of Barre.
The city’s homelessness and housing liaison, Tess Taylor, says nearly 400 households were damaged by flooding.
“Some of them, they’re just not habitable now. And we don’t even know, some of them may actually have people in them, but they’re not. They shouldn’t be, you know, for safety reasons,” said Taylor.
Barre City Manager Nicholas Storellicastro adds that 387 people in Washington County lost a spot when the hotel motel program ended.
“Already stressed housing market put more people at the risk of losing their homes and the numbers weigh that out. We have over 50 applicants for buyouts. That’s, you know, that’s a problem,” said Storellicastro.
Efforts are underway to build mixed-use units in a city where 2020 data shows 44% of households were cost-burdened by rent.
Storellicastro says progress is being made on the Seminary Street lot, where developers have put a joint bid for 20-30 units downtown.
“We need places for people to go who are displaced, who didn’t have a place to go before and we need it quickly,” he said.
Simultaneously, similar plans are kicking off at nearby Wobby Park, which was selected for housing potential because it’s not in a floodplain. It’s in the earlier stages as the city is looking for developers to take on a potential other 30 units.
Developers have until May 10 to express their interest.