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Choose the right route before you apply
“Affordable housing” in Burlington can mean several different things. A tenant-based Housing Choice Voucher can help you rent an eligible apartment selected by your household. Project-based assistance lowers the rent in a particular subsidized apartment, so the benefit generally stays with that unit rather than following you to another address. Emergency shelter, transitional housing, short-term rental help and legal assistance are separate systems with different intake rules.
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BHA administers tenant-based and project-based Housing Choice Voucher assistance and other subsidized-housing programs. The agency is the primary local starting point, but it is not the only one. The City of Burlington also identifies 211, the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS), Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO), Vermont Legal Aid and the Vermont State Housing Authority (VSHA) as potential routes, depending on the problem and the household’s circumstances.
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Tenant-based assistance
With a tenant-based voucher, your household searches for a unit that meets the program’s rules. The owner must agree to participate, the rent must be reasonable under the program and the apartment must meet HUD Housing Quality Standards. BHA says most voucher households pay about 30% to 40% of household income toward contract rent and utilities; BHA pays the balance under the program’s calculation. That percentage is a typical BHA description for voucher households, not a promise for every household or every subsidy.
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Project-based assistance
Project-based assistance is attached to a particular apartment or development. You may have to apply through BHA and separately through the development’s management agent. Some properties and programs add requirements or require a referral. Ask exactly which list you are joining, whether the list is open, and whether a second property application is required.
Emergency and temporary housing
BHA states that it does not operate or provide emergency housing. Its contact guidance says: “BHA does not operate or provide emergency housing. If you are in need of emergency housing or need to know more information about temporary housing, please dial 211. 211 will direct you to services and resources you may be eligible for.” A voucher application is therefore a long-term strategy, not a same-night shelter plan.
Start with Burlington Housing Authority
BHA’s preliminary application is the practical first step for BHA-managed rental assistance and subsidized housing. Initial eligibility is based on income, but the applicable limits vary by program and household size. Do not rely on a single “Burlington income limit” copied from an old chart. Ask BHA which current income table and program rules apply to your household.
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- Address: Burlington Housing Authority, 65 Main Street, Suite 101, Burlington, VT 05401.
- Phone: 802-864-0538.
- Application: Download the preliminary form or request one by phone. BHA asks applicants, if possible, to return applications in person so staff can review them.
Call before making a trip if you need a current list status, an accessible format, help understanding a question or confirmation of office procedures. The agency’s current intake rules control whether a list is open and whether additional documents are required.
Documents to prepare
BHA asks applicants to bring Social Security cards or copies for all household members. Gather the information needed to identify everyone who will live with you and to document household income. If a form is incomplete, BHA’s FAQ says it is not accepted as an application for rental assistance or housing. A staff review can help identify missing answers before the submission is treated as complete.
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Questions to ask BHA during intake
- Which BHA programs are open to a household of my size and income?
- Am I applying for a tenant-based voucher, project-based housing, another subsidized program, or more than one?
- Does this program require a separate application to a property manager or a referral?
- Which documents are required now, and which will be requested later?
- What is the current estimated wait for this specific list?
- How will BHA contact me, and how do I report a mailing-address change?
Understand eligibility without assuming a universal Burlington rule
BHA’s programs do not all use identical eligibility rules. Income limits, household definitions, preferences and property requirements can differ. Some BHA assistance gives preference to Chittenden County residents, but that limited preference should not be rewritten as a universal requirement that every applicant live in Burlington or Chittenden County.
BHA lists its service area as Burlington and portions of South Burlington, Winooski, Colchester, Essex, Essex Junction, Shelburne, St. George and Williston. A household’s address may affect a preference or the program that fits, but only the agency can determine how the rule applies to a particular list. Ask directly rather than abandoning an application because you do not currently live inside Burlington.
Plan for the waitlist
BHA’s published applicant information estimates a wait of five years or longer for assistance and two to four years for a property. These are agency estimates, not guaranteed timelines, a prediction of your position or a live estimate for every program. Lists can open, close or move at different rates, so confirm the current status with BHA.
Keep your application active
- Use a mailing address that will remain reliable, or arrange a dependable way to receive BHA mail.
- Report address changes and other requested contact updates to BHA promptly.
- Read every waitlist letter. BHA sends an annual letter asking applicants to confirm that they remain interested.
- Respond by the stated deadline. BHA warns that failing to respond can remove you from all waitlists for which you are eligible.
- Keep copies of your application, documents, correspondence and delivery confirmations so you can explain your status if a notice is lost.
A long queue makes these administrative steps more important, not less. Being eligible at the time of application does not protect an applicant who cannot be reached or who misses a required confirmation.
Find a unit when the voucher is tenant-based
A tenant-based voucher does not make every apartment affordable automatically. After your household receives assistance, you still need a unit that participates, meets inspection standards and falls within the program’s rent rules. The owner must agree to participate, the rent must be reasonable and the unit must satisfy HUD Housing Quality Standards.
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A practical search sequence
- Ask BHA what bedroom size, payment standard and utility assumptions apply to your voucher.
- Search for units whose total rent and tenant-paid utilities can fit the program’s limits.
- Tell the owner or manager that you have, or expect to use, a Housing Choice Voucher and ask whether the property will participate.
- Submit the unit information through BHA’s required process before signing a lease or paying a deposit that you cannot afford to lose.
- Wait for the required review and inspection. Do not assume a unit is approved because it appears affordable in an advertisement.
Most voucher households pay a portion of contract rent and utilities, commonly 30% to 40% of household income according to BHA. The exact tenant share depends on the household’s calculation, the approved rent and utility responsibilities. Ask BHA for the calculation for your case rather than budgeting from the typical percentage alone.
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Project-based assistance can be useful when finding a private-market unit is difficult, but the trade-off is that the subsidy is tied to a specific apartment. BHA says applicants apply to BHA and to the development’s management agent. That means one BHA form may not be enough.
Before applying to a property
- Confirm the development’s name, address and management contact.
- Ask whether the property has its own application, waiting list, screening criteria or referral requirement.
- Ask whether the list is currently accepting applications and whether your household size matches the available unit type.
- Ask BHA whether you must remain on a BHA list even after applying directly to the property.
- Keep proof of every submission and update both BHA and the property manager if your address changes.
A project-based application can lead to a particular apartment, while a tenant-based voucher gives the household more choice about location. Neither route is emergency housing, and each list can have a different timeline.
Use the statewide Vermont option too
The Vermont State Housing Authority (VSHA) administers Housing Choice Voucher and project-based programs statewide. VSHA explains that project-based subsidies are tied to particular units, while existing voucher holders can choose housing within the agency’s service area when the unit meets applicable standards and rent limits.
BHA and VSHA are distinct agencies with distinct programs and waitlists. An application to one does not automatically apply to the other. Contact each agency and ask whether a current application is appropriate, which lists are open and what documents are required. A household that is not a fit for one agency’s program may still have a route through another, but eligibility must be determined by the administering agency.
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Get help when rent or homelessness is urgent
If you may lose housing soon, are already homeless or need a place to stay tonight, use the emergency and housing-navigation routes while any long-term application is pending.
Call 211 first
BHA directs people needing emergency or temporary housing information to 211. Explain your location, household size, safety concerns, whether children are involved, whether you need an accessible placement and how soon you need shelter. Ask what is available today and what documents or referral steps are required. Openings and intake procedures change, so confirm them during the call.
Contact COTS for shelter and transitional support
The City of Burlington lists COTS as a provider of emergency shelter, transitional housing and permanent-housing support. Its listed phone number is 802-864-7402, identified by the City as a 24/7 contact. Call to confirm current intake, eligibility and openings; a directory listing is not a guarantee of a bed.
Ask CVOEO about navigation and financial assistance
The City lists CVOEO for financial assistance, housing navigation and tenant advocacy. It also describes a HOME Family Housing Voucher program that can provide families experiencing homelessness with up to 24 months of rental assistance, including security deposits and housing support. The “up to 24 months” period is the program description; eligibility, funding and present availability must be confirmed with CVOEO.
When you call, ask whether the program serves your household type, whether a homelessness determination or referral is required, what documents to bring and whether help can cover a security deposit, arrears, moving costs or ongoing rent. Do not assume that a general rental-assistance inquiry automatically enrolls you in the HOME program.
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Use legal help when eviction is involved
The City identifies Vermont Legal Aid as a source of civil legal services for housing matters, including eviction cases. Contact it as soon as you receive a notice, court paper or landlord demand. Legal deadlines can run before a housing application is processed. Keep the notice, lease, payment records and communications together for the intake worker or attorney.
Verify rental listings and avoid preventable losses
BHA cautions that third-party rental advertisements may not be accurate and provides rental-advertisement tips. Verify the address, owner or management contact, rent, utility responsibilities and voucher participation before sending money. Be especially cautious when a listing pressures you to pay immediately, refuses an in-person or verifiable contact, uses photos that appear elsewhere or asks for payment before you can confirm the unit.
- Confirm that the person offering the unit is authorized to rent it.
- Ask whether the owner will participate in the voucher process before paying an application fee or deposit.
- Do not treat an advertisement’s claim that a unit is “Section 8” or “voucher friendly” as BHA approval.
- Keep written records of rent, deposits, fees, utilities and promised repairs.
- Never send money solely because a listing says another applicant is waiting.
Budget using the right figures
Local rent references can change. The City of Burlington rent table available for comparison shows BHA payment standards and HUD fair market rents with effective dates of November 1, 2023 and October 1, 2024. Those dated figures should not be treated as 2026 caps. Ask BHA for the current payment standard, utility allowance and rent calculation that apply to your voucher and unit.
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A complete application and crisis checklist
If you need long-term affordable housing
- Contact BHA at 802-864-0538 or visit 65 Main Street, Suite 101, Burlington, VT 05401.
- Request and complete the preliminary application fully.
- Bring Social Security cards or copies for every household member, as BHA requests.
- Ask which program-specific income limits and preferences apply.
- Ask whether the assistance is tenant-based or project-based.
- For project-based housing, ask whether the property manager requires a second application or referral.
- Record the lists for which you were accepted and the date of submission.
- Keep your mailing address current and answer BHA’s annual interest-confirmation letter.
If you may lose housing or need shelter now
- Call 211 for emergency or temporary-housing information.
- Call COTS at 802-864-7402 for emergency shelter and transitional-housing intake.
- Contact CVOEO about housing navigation, tenant advocacy and financial assistance, including the HOME Family Housing Voucher description for families experiencing homelessness.
- Contact Vermont Legal Aid promptly if you have an eviction notice or housing-related legal problem.
- Ask VSHA whether a statewide voucher or project-based program has an appropriate open intake.
- Continue the BHA application if long-term assistance is still needed; emergency providers and housing authorities serve different purposes.
What to expect after you apply
Submitting a form is not the same as receiving a voucher or apartment. BHA may place eligible applicants on one or more waitlists because available vouchers and subsidized units are limited. A tenant-based applicant eventually searches for a qualifying unit and completes the owner, rent-reasonableness and inspection steps. A project-based applicant waits for a particular development and may have to complete that property’s separate screening process.
Keep every agency informed when your household, income, phone number or mailing address changes. Ask how a change affects your application rather than withdrawing and reapplying on your own. If you receive a notice you do not understand, call the agency named on the notice before the deadline.
Bottom line for Burlington households
Use two tracks when necessary: submit the complete BHA preliminary application for long-term rental assistance or subsidized housing, and contact 211, COTS or CVOEO immediately if your housing need is urgent. Tenant-based vouchers offer a choice of eligible unit; project-based assistance is tied to a specific apartment and may require a separate property application. Because BHA’s published waits can extend to five years or more for assistance, preserving your waitlist position and pursuing emergency help at the same time can be the difference between a future subsidy and a safe place to stay now.
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