MORRISVILLE – At a special membership meeting on June 17, more than 45 Lamoille Housing Partnership (LHP) members came together to vote on the future of the organization that has worked to create and preserve quality affordable housing opportunities for Hardwick and Lamoille County.
Those members, most of whom were LHP residents, unanimously voted yes to transfer its Hardwick assets and territory to St. Johnsbury’s Gilman Housing Trust Inc., dba RuralEdge, and merge what’s left of LHP with Downstreet Housing and Community Development of Barre.
Kerrie A. Lohr, LHP advancement and communications director said, “audience questions centered on who will perform property management, will the properties continue to operate as affordable housing and will rent costs change, along with questions about LHP’s continued local presence and staffing.
A LHP press release notes, “We still have a long way to go to successfully complete the process, but are ultimately moving towards an outcome that will better serve the people of Lamoille County and the Town of Hardwick with more capacity and resources, enhanced affordable housing services, and positive movement of our mission forward locally,” and adds, “There will not be rent increases associated with the merger.”
LHP’s properties will continue to be operated as affordable housing and owned by affordable housing nonprofit organizations.
Similar to LHP, Downstreet and RuralEdge are nonprofit affordable housing organizations. Downstreet’s service area includes Washington and Orange counties, RuralEdge’s service area includes Essex, Caledonia and Orleans counties
A recording of the meeting is available by request by contacting Kerrie Lohr or for questions, comments or concernts, contact LHP Interim Executive Director Lucy Leriche at [email protected] or (802) 888-5714.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
