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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

Owiso Makuku – CEO – Main Street Landing

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.

Congressman Peter Welch

"Thank you to SEABA for hosting the “Affordable Housing Roundtable.” This is an important topic for our Vermont communities.

When I speak to Vermonters around the state, I frequently hear how brutal it is to find affordable housing. It’s been a long-term problem that has been made worse by an unprecedented pandemic.

My job as your representative is to advocate for policies that help you be successful in your communities. A critical component to that success is to have an affordable place to live, and that is becoming harder and harder to find throughout our state....[read full statement here]

I’m committed to continuing to work on this issue and look forward to doing so alongside all of you. Thank you."

Peter Welch
Welch for Vermont

Stay Informed! Pre-Reads for the ‘Affordable Housing Roundtable’


Mayor Miro Weinberger’s 2021 Action Plan to Fulfill the Promise of Housing as a Human Right in Burlington

“Burlington is redoubling its efforts to combat the housing crisis. In December 2021, Mayor Miro Weinberger released a ten-point plan which commits to double housing production over the next 5 years and end chronic homelessness in Burlington by the end of 2024.” Read full action plan here.

"Weinberger released [this] plan to open areas of the city to builders. The goal is to roughly double the rate of development to enable construction of 1,250 more housing units by 2027." - Derek Brouwer, Seven Days, Dec 16, 2021 Read full article here.

"Burlington Co-Housing is just one of the innovative solutions that are emerging lately for the affordable housing problem. And the problem is both broad and deep.

In the midst of the Covid crisis, housing advocates and government officials are worried about the immediate future of affordable housing and preventing homelessness. But the concerns about housing in Vermont — what’s available, how people can live there, and at what cost — have been decades in the making."

- Erin Petenko, VT Digger, Oct 25, 2020 Read full article here.


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.


The SEABA vision is to see the South End Arts District as a place where artists, entrepreneurs, businesses and communities thrive, supported by programs and services that enhance opportunity for all. Thank you for your input, support, and engagement as we work towards that vision.

Read more on SEABA's goals in the SEABA 2021 - 2023 Strategic Plan here.

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