BURLINGTON, Vt., – March 5, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today announced that he secured a $380,000 federal grant for a Vergennes senior housing project.
The Vergennes project will fill a critically important need in Addison County and provide seniors in the region quality and affordable independent living space.
“We face a serious housing crisis in Vermont and throughout the country,” Sanders said. “The crisis is particularly acute for many of our seniors and people that are on fixed incomes,” he added.
The grant is in addition to $24,205 in federal support Sanders secured for the Vergennes Senior Center.
He congratulated Betty Bristol and Martin Casey of the Vergennes Senior Center and the staff at the Vermont Community Development Program, the Champlain Valley Area Agency on Aging, Housing Vermont and the Addison County Land Trust. “You should all be very proud of the work that you have done to make this senior Housing project a reality,” Sanders said.
The senator also is a strong supporter of the Community Development Block Grant Program, which will provide additional federal funds for the project.
“As a former mayor of Burlington, I know how important this program has been to communities in Vermont that are fighting for affordable housing, child care, job creation, services for our seniors, and economic development,” Sanders said.
“In the Senate, I will be doing everything that I can to not only fully fund the federal block grant program, but to also put an end to the affordable housing crisis so that everyone in Vermont and throughout the country has a safe, decent and affordable place to live.”
