Growing rents and mortgages are making life too expensive. Nikhil believes that we cannot solve our health care, property tax, and workforce challenges without solving housing affordability. More than half of renters and nearly a quarter of homeowners in Chittenden County are cost burdened. Homelessness has more than doubled in the past few years. Vermont needs to create at least 24,000 new homes to keep up with demand. The simple truth is that we need to build many more homes to control rents, expand homeownership, and make it easier for young people to raise a family and seniors to downsize and retire with dignity.

We need both public and market-oriented solutions to the housing crisis. Nikhil fights to build all types of affordable housing in our downtowns to create dense, walkable neighborhoods. The longtime efforts of the Champlain Housing Trust in creating publicly-subsidized permanently affordable housing is an excellent model for our state. We should explore other state investments in social housing, similar to the Vienna model. 

Nikhil supports reforms to the permit review process to speed up and reduce the costs of housing development while protecting the natural environment and character of Vermont. 

Nikhil supports more funding for home repair programs that help low- and middle-income homeowners weatherize, modernize, and rehabilitate their homes for energy efficiency. 

Burlington, Winooski, and Essex residents overwhelmingly approved just cause evictions ballot measures. This prevents tenants from being evicted for “no cause,” while still allowing landlords to evict tenants who do not pay their rent and violate their leases. Governor Phil Scott vetoed the charter change. As your State Senator, Nikhil will fight to enact just cause eviction policy.

Nikhil supports the University of Vermont Student Tenant Union, which has been working tirelessly to expose and improve deplorable conditions in student accommodations and find solutions to the growing housing crisis in Burlington. UVM must rehabilitate and modernize student housing and follow the city housing code. Every UVM student deserves safe, accessible, and dignified housing.