Supporting Housing
Supporting Community Housing Needs
Stowe Land Trust recognizes the need for year-round community housing for residents and workers in the Rivers to Ridges Valley and views housing shortages as a community conservation issue. We are committed to being one of many entities—along with municipalities, other nonprofits, and private businesses—that supports local housing initiatives that align with our core mission.
With the help of partners, we support the creation of community housing in the following ways:
Strategic Land Protection
We avoid protecting open space in designated downtowns, villages, and commercial districts that would otherwise be best suited to dense residential, commercial, or mixed-use development.
Our primary focus remains on protecting farms, forests, and recreation properties in rural districts beyond designated growth areas and in using collaborative strategies other than permanent land protection (e.g., trail easements, landowner agreements) to support community connections and healthy habitats in designated growth areas.
Read our Strategic Conservation Plan
Strategic Partnerships
We recognize Downstreet Housing & Community Development as our primary partner in housing-conservation collaborations. Other strategic partners include: the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, municipalities, regional planning commissions, and Habitat for Humanity. We also seek to build new strategic partnerships with other entities, such as private developers, investors, businesses, and new organizations focused on community housing development.
Learn More About Downstreet Housing & Community Development
Cooperative Acquisitions
Sometimes, a project emerges that can deliver both housing and conservation outcomes. When these dual-outcome opportunities arise, we partner with organizations, such as Downstreet Housing & Community Development and Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, to conserve most of the property while allocating a portion to our housing partners to meet local housing needs.
Explore two recent dual-outcome conservation and housing projects:
- Muddy Moose: 150 acres of protected forest with 8 renovated single family homes for full-time residents.
- Stagecoach Meadows: 115 acres of protected forest with single-family homes for full-time residents.
For Landowners: Protecting Your Land
Support for Town Planning, Zoning Amendments & Redevelopment of Land
We recognize the importance of municipal Town Plans and zoning regulations and support town policies and zoning amendments that incentivize compact settlement patterns and the creation of more community housing in designated growth areas. It is committed to strengthening coordination with the Stowe Conservation Commission and Stowe Planning Commission on master town planning and engaging in conversations about workforce and local housing solutions. In particular, Stowe Land Trust also supports identifying already developed properties that would be suitable for redevelopment as community housing in these growth areas.
Interested in Donating or Selling Your Property for Housing & Conservation? Contact Us Today!