Greensboro residents voted 227-147 against a plan to convert the town’s underused and historic town hall into badly needed apartments. Last week’s vote has halted progress on a project spearheaded by RuralEdge, the Northeast Kingdom’s affordable housing agency, that would’ve added 20 units of affordable housing to the well-heeled town.
“It’s kind of soul crushing,” said Mateo Kehler, cofounder of Jasper Hill Farm. The cheesemaker is the largest employer in the area and has resorted to providing some of its staff members with free housing while they look for places to live in the area.
“This is sending the message that Greensboro is a gated community,” Kehler said. “And that voters aren’t interested in creating space for working-class families.”
Some Residents of Greensboro Are Fighting an Affordable Housing Proposal
Some Residents of Greensboro Are Fighting an Affordable Housing Proposal
By Rachel Hellman
Housing Crisis
The Greensboro Planning Commission first approached RuralEdge about pursuing an affordable housing project more than five years ago. The commission had listed affordable housing as one of its top priorities in the 2019 town plan.
Greensboro, population 811, is one of the wealthier towns in the state. Nearly a third of its residents are 65 or older, and the average home sells for well over $500,000.
Housing is so scarce in Greensboro that some traveling nurses working at the local nursing home have resorted to camping nearby. There are virtually no affordable rental options in the area, they say.
So in 2019, when RuralEdge proposed transforming the derelict town hall into 20 units of affordable housing, the commission was all ears. Utilities alone for the building cost the town $22,000 a year.
Patrick Shattuck, executive director of RuralEdge, presented a rough sketch of the idea at Greensboro’s town meeting in 2023. RuralEdge would finance the $10 million project and eventually manage the property, which would retain its beloved facade and charm. Greensboro would eventually earn about $20,000 per year in property taxes.
A group called the Save Town Hall Coalition got 180 people to sign a petition opposing the plan, arguing that the selectboard had been moving forward “without considering the potential impacts of the project on the community.”
Opponents have argued that the project is “outsized” for Greensboro, and that the historic town hall is an asset that should be refurbished, not sold.
The purchase and sales agreement with RuralEdge finally was put in front of the town for a vote on April 29. Tim Brennan, a member of the Greensboro Selectboard, said he didn’t find the rejection surprising.
“My interpretation is that many people are supportive of affordable housing in town, but that voters were against this particular project,” said Brennan.
Kehler was less optimistic.
“This is part of the slow death of this town,” he said. “And it’s heartbreaking to watch.”