Thank you to all who joined us for the 2026 Housing Breakfast on 10/1/26! This event is co-hosted by Vital Communities and Twin Pines Housing annually and brings together community members to learn about housing efforts in the region, including barriers and successes, as well how we can all play a part in addressing our communities’ housing needs.
We started our morning with a look at demographics and housing data shared by the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, highlighting our aging population, reliance on migration from other states and countries, and increasing housing costs as construction rates remain lower than the rates before the Great Recession. This was followed by stories and a panel featuring examples at the municipal, state, and project level including the town of Enfield, the state of Vermont, and The Grove by Chinburg Properties. We wrapped up the morning with legislative updates from the Housing and Homelessness Alliance of VT and Housing Action NH – there’s sure to be housing legislation in both states, so be ready to advocate with your elected officials!
When asked about challenges and opportunities, our panelists shared some great insights. Challenges included lack of infrastructure, construction costs, supply & demand mismatch, and getting from NIMBY (not in my backyard) to YIMBY (yes in my backyard) – stressing that saying yes to people is a value-add for our communities. Opportunities included rethinking how homes might look and feel, including options beyond large single-family homes; finding momentum now that the dialogue has shifted to one of consensus on a housing shortage; and focusing on infill opportunities so that “rural character” can remain while housing needs are met.
You can see the slides from all of the presenters on our website at https://vitalcommunities.org/2026-housing-breakfast-resources/. There is a lot of great information to take away. A big thank you to our presenters for making these available to everyone.
We’d also like to thank our sponsors, Mascoma Bank, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, and NH Housing for making this event possible.
We look forward to seeing everyone next year with new stories highlighting the hard work so many are putting in towards creating the housing our communities need.