SEABA Virtual ‘Affordable Housing Roundtable’ April 14, 2022
The 'Affordable Hosting Roundtable' is the first in a series of virtual programming from SEABA as we take stock in the matters that affect our community so that we may better advocate for your interests, now and for years to come.
One item at the forefront of many discussions is the affordable housing crisis in Burlington, which has become even more challenging with the Covid-19 pandemic.
The purpose of this roundtable is for participants to better understand recent housing policy reforms and engage on innovative solutions to help tackle the affordable housing challenge.
‘Affordable Housing Roundtable’ Recording from April 14, 6 - 8:30 pm.
SEABA ‘Affordable Housing Roundtable’ Panelists
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Michael Monte – CEO – Champlain Housing Trust
Michael is Champlain Housing Trust’s Chief Executive Officer having joined the leadership team in December 2007 and being appointed CEO in January, 2021. He has over 40 years of community and economic development experience both at the non-profit and municipal level. He worked at Burlington’s Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO) from its creation and was its longest serving Director. Prior to CEDO, he was employed as Executive Director for several non-profit organizations including the King Street Youth Center.
Michael is also a founder and partner of the independent community development consultant group, Burlington Associates, where he worked with Community Land Trusts around the country. He sits on several National Boards, and is Vice Chair of HIPex, a national insurance captive. Michael is a graduate of Achieving Excellence, a leadership program of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and NeighborWorks America. He holds a BA degree from Goddard College.
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Representative Tiffany Bluemle – District: Chittenden -6-5
After a brief stint on the ill-fated Mondale presidential campaign, Tiffany worked as a middle and high school history teacher and at NYC Outward Bound, in which she developed a deep passion for helping young people develop and use their talents and voice. Upon moving to Vermont, Tiffany joined Vermont Works for Women (VWW) and served as its executive director for seventeen years. In 2015 she left to lead Change The Story VT, a multi-year, multi-organizational initiative to fast-track progress in gender equity. In 2020, she was elected to serve in the VT House of Representatives and sits on the House General, Housing, and Military Affairs Committee.
Tiffany received a Masters in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and holds a B.A. from Princeton. She is a former board member of Princeton University, the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, and Public Assets Institute. She lives in Burlington’s south end with her partner, where they enjoy time with their two adult sons, their dog, and the trails and waters of the Northeast.
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Nancy Owens – Founding Co-President - Evernorth
A recognized leader in the affordable housing field, Nancy is the founding Co-President of Evernorth, guiding the overall strategic direction and business development for the organization. Before uniting under the Evernorth banner, Nancy served as President of Housing Vermont since 2008. Under her leadership, the organization helped communities to advance critical housing, economic, energy, and environmental goals.
Nancy is a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Community Development Advisory Council and serves as Vice Chair of VEIC, a nonprofit energy efficiency utility. In 2019 her work in community development was recognized by the Vermont Housing Conservation Board with the Mollie Beattie award and by Champlain Housing Trust with the Tim Mackenzie Award. Nancy is a graduate of Achieving Excellence, a leadership program of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and NeighborWorks. Nancy holds a BS degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont.
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SEABA ‘Affordable Housing Roundtable’ Facilitator
Owiso Makuku recently stepped into the role of CEO for Main Street Landing, a Burlington-based sustainable (re)development company. She received her undergraduate degree from Middlebury College and went on to serve in the Peace Corps as an agriculture volunteer in the Dominican Republic, an experience which both informed her path in life and led to her interest in housing. After serving in the Peace Corps, Owiso pursued and received dual Masters Degrees in Architecture and Urban Planning from MIT in Cambridge, MA.
Owiso has spent most of career in the public sector – Essex (VT), Cambridge (MA), Burlington (VT), New York City (NYC) and Detroit (MI) — but also worked in the private sector on Cambrian Rise, the equivalent of a new neighborhood in Burlington (VT). She believes that housing is a foundational element in each of our lives and that it is central to the idea of community.
Stay Informed! Pre-Reads for the ‘Affordable Housing Roundtable’
Memorandum of Understanding- Zoning Ordinance Amendment to create a Proposed “Enterprise Innovation District”
The purpose of the E-ID is the facilitate the implementation of planBTV-South End’s vision for a specific part (centering around Lakeside Avenue and extending north) of the South End by transforming surface parking lots and underutilized sites into a walkable, mixed use, multi-modal hub of economic activity. Furthermore, the E-ID aims to “support employees, makers and local businesses in the district through the creation of new homes, both affordable and market rate within mixed-use developments at transit-supportive densities”. Read full MOU here.