Sandra Vitzthum, a Montpelier architect who has been involved with housing initiatives throughout central Vermont, recently conducted an “unofficial” survey asking local residents about what kind of housing they want. Her results are in, and she plans to host a discussion about the results on July 30 at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.
In general, the survey found that respondents prefer to own a home rather than rent.
“The biggest takeaway is that more people would prefer to own and live in a yurt or tiny home than in an urban, multi-story apartment building!” Vitzthum said of the survey in an email to The Bridge.
Of the 262 survey participants, Vitzthum said that 117 said they were satisfied with their current living situation, leaving 145 people who would like to live in a new home. Vitzthum noted that these 145 people were not asked if they were currently in the market for a new home and that the question was largely aspirational.
Survey-takers were asked questions such as where they currently live, what kind of home they currently live in, what kind of home do they wish they lived in, and would they prefer to rent or own that new home, among others. A full 60.5% said they live in Montpelier outside of downtown, and 31% said they lived in the downtown area. Of those, 65.9% responded that they own their home, while 29.8% said they rent. A whopping 81.8% said they want to own their next home, whether it be a standalone house, duplex, tiny-home, or other structure. Vitzthum said this cut across income
levels.
“I was surprised that so many people across income brackets want their own home,” Vitzthum said. “My opinion is that these people want stability and equity grown over time.”
Vitzthum said she was not surprised to see that a large percentage of Montpelier’s homes are occupied by only one or two people, with 29.3% reporting that only one person lives in their home and 43.2% saying two people live in their home.
A majority of respondents said they fit into either the “Affordable” or the “Moderate” income bracket, and 32.7% of respondents said that walkability is very important to them, while 18.7% said it was somewhat important.
“Most of Montpelier’s housing stock is oversized for our most critical needs: new homebuyers and elders downsizing,” said Vitzthum. She added that changing expectations is a challenge. During the second half of the 20th century land in central Vermont was cheaper, allowing even working class families to own a camp in addition to a primary home. “That is gone,” she said. “and it takes time to adjust expectations.”
Vitzthum shared her concern that realtors and developers have not changed their expectations, citing the routine construction of 2,000-square-foot homes in Chittenden County, a desire that is not reflected in great numbers in her survey.
“This survey points out that Montpelier folks want strong neighborhoods for modest folks,” she said.
On July 30 at 6:30 p.m., Vitzthum will host a public meeting at the Hayes Room at Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier to go over the results from her survey.
