MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Could empty state office buildings help with Vermont’s housing shortage?
Since the pandemic, thousands of state employees have continued to work from home in some capacity. A new bill before lawmakers would study the feasibility of turning unused office buildings, parking lots, and other state-owned spaces into housing.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Conor Casey, D-Montpelier, says it could spark a conversation to revitalize communities like Montpelier that have been hit hard by flooding and remote work. “So we can save taxpayer dollars on maintaining state buildings that aren’t full, stimulate business activity downtown, and fill a hole in the housing that’s so desperately needed these days,” he said.
He says it’ll likely be years before any housing is actually built but that the goal is for state lawmakers to begin the conversation now.