By Pat Bradley
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-964753.mp3
Montpelier, VT – In its tenth annual "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" report on the cost of housing, the Vermont Housing Finance Agency found that a modest two-bedroom apartment rents for about $990 a month, a 7 percent increase over the year before. A person would need to make more than 19-dollars an hour, or more than 35-thousand a year for the rent to be considered affordable. Policy and Program Manager and Report Author Maura Collins says what's different this year is the report's focus on Vermont's rental market..... (audio cut) The report found that the median home price in Vermont was 3 percent higher than last year, but there are high fees and down payments to purchase a home. Closing costs increased 37 percent between 2009 and 2010. 38 percent of homeowners pay more than 30-percent of their income for housing costs. Again, Maura Collins...... (audio cut) Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition Coordinator Erhard Mahnke found the overall data unsurprising...... (audio cut) There's more information on our website - wamc.org