Winooski School District Board of Trustees
Resolution on the Need to Preserve, Protect & Produce Affordable Family Housing

Whereas, the Winooski School District is located in the City of Winooski, the most diverse community in
the state of Vermont, with a long history of welcoming refugees and immigrants to our small city; and

Whereas, the Winooski School District is the only BIPOC-majority school district in the state of Vermont,
with the majority of our BIPOC students members of the immigrant and refugee community; and

Whereas, the students of the Winooski School District need access to safe, stable housing in order to be
successful in school and beyond; and

Whereas, refugee service providers have long struggled to find adequate housing; many refugee families
are multi-generational, and 3, 4- and 5-bedroom units are necessary to safely house them, but in the
current market, it is challenging to find even 2-bedroom units; and

Whereas, in Winooski we are increasingly seeing landlords significantly raise rents, displacing
economically disadvantaged families. This practice disproportionately affects members of the BIPOC
refugee and immigrant community and oftentimes is rooted in racism; and

Whereas, the tenants of 300 Main Street, including 19 Winooski students, are once again facing
displacement from the community they call home, despite a commitment from the landlord to keep
them housed in Winooski; and

Whereas, local, state and federal housing policies have contributed to the housing crisis
disproportionately impacting Winooski’s refugee and immigrant families and therefore these
governmental entities each bear responsibility to take urgent action to remediate this harm;

Therefore be it resolved that the Winooski School District Board of Trustees:

Calls on the landlord of 300 Main Street to abide by his commitment not to displace Winooski residents
through the redevelopment of the property and conversion to smaller, market-rate units.

Calls on the City of Winooski to adopt local ordinances and zoning policies that preserve, protect, and
produce housing that meets the needs of our refugee and immigrant neighbors.

Calls on the State of Vermont to dedicate resources specifically for the purpose of preserving, protecting
and producing affordable, 3 and 4 bedroom units in communities that welcome refugee resettlement.

Calls on Vermont’s federal delegation to advocate for investments in affordable family housing in
communities identified for the federal government’s refugee resettlement program.