If you live in most kinds of subsidized housing, you can ask for your rent to be recalculated if your income drops. To make it easier for you to ask for a rent recalculation, we have created a form letter that you can use.
Copy this text and put in information about your change in income and your contact information. Once your letter is done, get it to your housing authority or housing manager as soon as you can. You can deliver it, mail it or email it. Keep a copy for yourself.
[Write today's date]
[Write name of housing authority or management company]
[Write address]
[Write city, state and zip code]
Attention: [Write the name of your contact at the housing authority or housing management company if you have one]
My name is [Write your full name]. I live at [Write your full address].
My income from work has gone down as a result of the [Write the reason, such as "the COVID-19 pandemic"]. My weekly income went down from $[Write the old income] to $[Write the new income] on this date: [Write the date it went down]. As a result, I cannot afford to pay my rent. Therefore, I am asking that you:
- Contact me at [Write your phone number] to get additional information about my current income.
- Recalculate my rent to reflect my loss in income.
- Change my rent amount retroactive to the date I had a reduction in income and keep the change in place until 30 days after I am able to work again.
- Cancel any late fees or other charges I may have as the result of my inability to pay rent.
- Do not send me a notice to quit for nonpayment of rent now or until 30 days after I am able to work again.
- Do not begin any eviction action against me until at least 30 days after I am able to work again.
Sincerely,
[Sign your full name if you are going to mail or deliver the letter]
[Write your full name]
Addresses
You can find the addresses for most subsidized housing management companies by searching this Vermont housing database. Below are the addresses of Vermont's public housing authorities according to the Agency of Commerce and Community Development website.
Barre Housing Authority
Jaime Chioldi, Executive Director
30 Washington Street
Barre, VT 05641-4529
Phone: (802) 476-3185
Fax: (802) 476-3113
Email: jaime@barrehousing.org
Website: www.barrehousingauthority.com
Bennington Housing Authority
Lindsay Vajda, Executive Director
22 Willowbrook Drive
Bennington, VT 05201
Phone: (802) 442-8000
Fax: (802) 442-7301
Email: lindsay.vajda@benningtonhousingauthority.net
Website: www.benningtonhousingauthority.com
Brattleboro Housing Authority d.b.a. Brattleboro Housing Partnerships
Christine Hazzard, Executive Director
PO Box 2275 – 100 Melrose Terrace
Brattleboro, VT 05303
Phone: (802) 254-6071
Fax: (802) 254-5590
Email: chazzard@brattleborohousing.org
Website: www.brattleborohousing.org
Burlington Housing Authority
Steven Murray, Executive Director
65 Main Street
Burlington, VT 05401
Phone: (802) 864-0538 x254
Fax: (802) 658-1286
Email: smurray@burlingtonhousing.org
Website: www.burlingtonhousing.org
Winooski Housing Authority
Katherine “Deac” Decarreau, Executive Director
83 Barlow Street
Winooski, VT 05404
Phone: (802) 655-2360
Fax: (802) 655-5540
Email: deac@winooskihousing.org
Website: www.winooskihousing.org
Montpelier Housing Authority
JoAnn Troiano, Executive Director
155 Main Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
Phone: (802) 229-9232
Email: troiano@together.net
Website: www.montpelier-vt.org/434/Housing-Authority
Rutland Housing Authority
Kevin Loso, Executive Director
5 Tremont Street
Rutland, VT 05701
Phone: (802) 775-2926 x13
Fax: (802) 747-6180
Email: kloso@rhavt.org
Website: www.rhavt.org
Springfield Housing Authority
Laura Ryan, Executive Director
80 Main Street
Springfield, VT 05156
Phone: (802) 885-4905
Fax: (802) 885-5857
Email: lrsha@vermontel.net
Website: springfieldhousingauthorityvt.org
Vermont State Housing Authority (VSHA)
Kathleen Berk, Executive Director
1 Prospect Street
Montpelier, VT 05602-3556
Phone: (802) 828-3295
Fax: (802) 828-3248
Email: kathyb@vsha.org
Website: www.vsha.org
