Joint Committee Votes to Exclude Pro-Housing Provisions of Land Use Bill

S.325 Committee of Conference Votes to Recommend Final Bill Without Several Senate-Passed Housing Reforms

Montpelier, Vt. -Yesterday, the Vermont Legislature's joint Committee of Conference on S.325 voted to recommend a final version of the land use bill designed to reform Act 181. Governor Scott vetoed Act 181 in 2024, largely due to the expanded Act 250 jurisdiction via Tier 3 and the 'Road Rule.' The legislative supermajority overturned the veto, clearing the way for these new Act 250 triggers. Yesterday's Committee recommendation includes repeal of Tier 3 and the Road Rule but does not include several provisions passed by the Senate to expand and improve pro-housing Act 250 exemptions.

The provisions omitted from the final committee recommendation include:

• an extension of the interim Act 250 housing exemptions to 2030;
• the removal of certain arbitrary parcel size constraints;
• an expansion to include more rural communities in the interim exemptions, and
• an expansion of the Priority Housing Project to encourage mixed-income and affordable housing development throughout the state.

Alex Farrell , Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, issued the following statement regarding the vote:

"In the midst of a deep housing affordability crisis, this joint committee cast aside a series of thoughtful, reasonable pro-housing changes the Senate already passed. In a time of great urgency to create more housing for Vermonters, committee leadership is again adopting a half-hearted approach to undoing the poor policy decisions of the recent past, and this is insufficient.

So, while some legislators like to talk about our housing crisis on the campaign trail, they refuse to make systemic policy change that would actually benefit Vermonters.

G iving the Environment and Natural Resources committees the vast majority of jurisdiction over housing policy results in bad outcomes for would-be homebuyers, home builders, and Vermonters in general. The passage of floor amendments in both the House and the Senate against the will of environmentally focused committees is evidence that they're out of step with Vermonters and legislators on both sides of the aisle. I find it utterly disappointing that many still refuse to prioritize housing and rural economic development."