Vermont Launches 30,000-Home Infill Plan by 2030 – “Gentle Infill”

Vermont aims to build 30,000 new homes by 2030 using pre-approved infill housing designs.

The Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, building on South Bend, Indiana’s success with over 500 homes in the last three or four years, is piloting “gentle infill” strategies statewide. These approaches focus on constructing smaller homes on vacant lots within existing neighborhoods to address housing shortages structurally constrained by legacy zoning and infrastructure costs.

Vermont’s “Homes For All” program includes the “802 Homes” initiative, which offers 10 pre-permitted home designs intended to streamline approval and reduce construction inefficiencies. The designs emphasize practical efficiencies, such as aligned plumbing to minimize labor. The Community and Housing Infrastructure Program Act, passed in 2025, enables up to $2 billion in infrastructure financing through 2035, supporting these developments. Off-site construction techniques allow homes to be built rapidly, with water-tight shells achieved within several hours and finishes completed within about a month. Vermont hopes to finalize the 802 Homes catalogue by the end of 2026.

While these efforts are unfolding primarily in Vermont, the model could resonate in Montana, where rural land availability and infrastructure challenges also shape housing development. Montana communities might consider how streamlined design approvals and infrastructure investment programs could alleviate local housing shortages, particularly as workforce and affordability pressures mount.

Vermont, Other States Test ‘Gentle Infill’ as One Potential Tool to Tackle Housing Shortages
By Andrew McKeever, The Daily Yonder