OPINION: Workforce depends on housing
November 20, 2025 | By Jay Bellows
Vermont faces a headwind slowing its economic engine: a profound lack of housing. Without enough affordable homes, we cannot grow our workforce, increase the number of students in our schools, attract new businesses, or sustain the rural communities that make this state special.
As chair of the State Workforce Development Board and one of Vermont’s larger employers, I see it every day: People want to move to Vermont, but a lack of affordable housing prevents them from doing so. Every conversation about Vermont’s economic future circles back to the same major points, one of the most significant is, we cannot recruit or retain working-age families without quality affordable housing.
The link is undeniable. Employers in every sector — from health care and education, to hospitality and manufacturing — struggle to hire because potential employees cannot find housing, and the housing they can find isn’t affordable. Small-town cafés sit short-staffed, hospitals leave critical roles vacant, and schools scramble for teachers. Even in the construction trades, the very carpenters and electricians needed to build new homes can’t afford to live in the towns they serve. The housing shortage is not just an economic drag; it has become one of the greatest barriers to Vermont’s workforce.
That’s why Governor Scott’s recent executive order to promote housing is such a critical step. It takes direct aim at the procedural bottlenecks that have long stymied progress. By prioritizing residential projects, halving review times, and cutting through years of regulatory red tape, the order directly addresses the biggest obstacles to building more homes. With Vermont projected to need nearly 40,000 new units by 2030, action cannot wait.
This is not just about housing policy, it is about securing the Vermont workforce and future prosperity. Every new home built is an opportunity for a family to settle here, a teacher to stay in our schools, health care professionals to care for patients, or a young professional to launch their career and stay in Vermont. Housing is the lever that allows businesses to grow, workers to put down roots, communities to thrive, and businesses to produce affordable goods.
The executive order will assist in breaking one of the major cycles that holds Vermont back. Streamlined permitting will unlock private investment, while flexibility in building codes and wetland setbacks will reduce costs and accelerate construction. The result: more homes for the very workers our economy depends on.
The impact goes beyond numbers. A healthy housing market makes Vermont more attractive to businesses and corporations to come to Vermont and stay for the long term to enhance and employ a growing workforce. It supports the state in retaining families and young professionals who might otherwise look elsewhere. It allows current Vermonters to stay in their communities instead of being priced out. And for existing employers, bolstering the confidence to expand, knowing they can recruit and retain the employees they need.
The success of this initiative will ultimately be measured in long-term outcomes: businesses filling long-open positions, workers finding affordable homes close to work, and communities regaining vitality as new families move in and long-time residents are able to stay.
Housing is a key tool for Vermont’s workforce development initiatives. It is absolutely essential for Vermont’s economic development. And it is the only way the state will be able to grow its community development. Governor Scott’s action signals a commitment to creating an environment where Vermonters can find a job and find a home.
By treating housing as the foundation of a thriving workforce, Vermont can build not just more homes but a stronger future for everyone.
Jay Bellows, of Waterbury, is chair of the Vermont State Workforce Development Board and CEO of KORE Power in Waterbury.