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| A housing idea returns in Vermont: "state officials are reviving the idea of the catalog home" |
A century ago, companies like Sears sold mail-order blueprints for modest homes that proliferated across the country and in some corners of Vermont. Now, state officials are reviving the idea of the catalog home in a bid to smooth the construction process and boost Vermont’s housing stock.
While cities such as South Bend, Indiana, and Kalamazoo, Michigan, have taken on similar initiatives in recent years, Vermont is the first state to do so, officials say.
“We want to give folks easy access to open-source construction plans,” said Alex Farrell, commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development. And, he added, “We’re wanting to give these people … some assurance that as long as you’re choosing one of these designs, you’re going to get your permit.”
The state does not have a target for how much the home designs will cost to construct, but officials are trying to make them “as efficient and affordable as possible,” Farrell said.
Read the full story from @vermontpublic/@vtdigger housing reporter Carly Berlin at the link in our bio. Photos by Glenn Russell/VTDigger"
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The link to the article referenced - https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2026-02-11/vermont-develops-catalog-of-prevetted-home-designs-for-faster-building
