Report: Vermont renters face wide affordability gap
By Xander Landen and Felippe Rodrigues
Vermonters face a wide gap between what they can afford to pay in rent and market rental prices, a new report has found.
The average Vermont renter makes $13.40 an hour and can afford to spend about $700 per month on rent, according to a report published by the National Low Income Housing Coalition this week.
But the average statewide fair market rent is much higher: $1,184 per month for a two bedroom apartment and $945 per month for a one-bedroom.
“This is the story of our state, our region and our national affordable housing crisis,” Erhard Mahnke, the coordinator for the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, said of the report.
“I think it’s an indicator of how bad the affordability gap is, and that is for renters working one or maybe even two jobs,” he said.
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