The Burlington Housing Authority provides access to state subsidized housing for low- and moderate-income seniors as well as people with disabilities. All tenants should be provided safe, decent, and sanitary housing.

Do you know the difference between public housing and affordable Housing?  Most residents are not aware of the Burlington Housing Authority, their purview, and their relationship with the town.

Below are questions and answers that should help clarify more about the Burlington Housing Authority.

1. What is public housing? Public housing provides decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities.

2. Does Burlington have public housing? Yes, the Burlington Housing Authority manages two properties that are public housing. The first is a one three-story building located at 15 Birchcrest called Tower Hill which has 65 units, consisting primarily of 58 one-bedroom apartments.  The other property, called Birchcrest Arms, is four, two- story buildings totaling 40 one-bedroom units located on Birchcrest Street, across from the light at the high school. There is a waiting list of almost five years for these units.
3. What services does the town provide to the Burlington Housing Authority? The only service provided by the town is trash pickup.  All other costs are paid for by state agencies.
4. Is public housing the same as affordable housing? No, public housing such as Tower Hill and Birchcrest Arms are state funded rental units for very low-income seniors and people with disabilities.

   Affordable housing is typically a small number of units set aside in otherwise market-rate housing for households who earn 80% or less than the area median income. In Burlington, there are affordable units at The Huntington, The Reserve at Burlington, The Tremont, the Village at Seven Springs, and the forthcoming Northwest Park apartments. Affordable housing cannot cost more than 30% of a household’s income. Affordable housing enables moderate-income families, the local workforce, seniors and recent graduates to afford homes that are otherwise beyond their reach. The number of units set aside as affordable is determined by local municipalities and real estate developers.

5. What about Section 8 housing? When a low-income household obtains a Section 8 voucher, they pay 30% of their income to a private landlord for their rent, and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development pays the remainder. The Executive Director of the Burlington Housing Authority manages the Section 8 program.