Having spent time actually looking into what is available for the residents of Burlington in regards to housing assistance, I think there are definitely resources that remain heavily untapped. I’m not sure if it is an issue of pride for most people, or it is that (like myself) many are simply uneducated when it comes to their assistance options. As a student living in the Burlington area, I am familiar with the high cost of housing. What I am very unfamiliar with is what exists to help. I honestly think that the ignorance that exists for Burlington housing assistance is a combination of pride and a lack of advertising for what is available.
When I spoke with Leah Galasso, the young student from Champlain College who recently completed her house hunt, she hadn’t even heard of the Burlington Housing Authority. She knew about sites to find housing in the area, Craigslist, Burlingtonapartments.com, etc., but nothing about sites that exist for residents who need assistance. “I wonder if we could have qualified for assistance?” she asked when I told her about the Burlington Housing Authority’s website.
The Burlington Housing Authority, which boasts programs like the Skills for Life Program I discussed in my last article, and the Family Self Sufficiency Program, is only one resource. As I researched for my article on housing, I was surprised to learn that there are actually a lot of offices available for residents who are in need of housing assistance. These offices include: Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO), Vermont Department of Housing and Community, Affairs Housing Division. There’s even HomeShare Vermont, Cathedral Square Corporation, and Vermont Tenants.
So my question is: What can be done to bring this information to more people? Well, at the risk of tooting our own horn, this website is hoping to bring light to what exists for residents. But our tiny magazine is just one outlet. There seems to be a need for a whole marketing team to publicize the opportunities that are available.
After speaking with Malaika DosRemedios, Skills for Life Case Manager for the Burlington Housing Authority (BHA), is it clear more must be done to bring the information to the public. Currently, there is no real budget for marketing to advertise the various programs offered by the BHA. It is up to citizens to access the information. "Most people, I think, probably begin by searching online for resources. From there they find our website. Once they meet with someone from the Burlington Housing Authority, we would assess what assistance they are eligible for," says DosRemedios. But, what about the people who are struggling to pay and do not have computer access? How are these people supposed to access the information?
When I compare the topic of affordable living in Burlington to other topics such as healthcare or financial aid for schooling, the same question is raised. Why don’t more people know what is available for assistance? I think on a much larger scale, the government provides certain services for individuals and families in need, but there isn’t as much of an emphasis placed on bringing those services to the public’s attention. Without petitioning for some national campaign to educate the public about the various levels of assistance, how else can at the very least programs on a local level reach more ears? The issue of having the information reach the people seems just as important right now as the issues themselves.
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