Scott and Janoo Split on Housing Costs Ahead of Nov. 3 Vote

Republican Gov. Phil Scott is running for a sixth term on a record of building more homes, while Democratic and Progressive challenger Amanda Janoo wants to tax second homes and corporate owners to lower costs. The two candidates are competing for Vermont's top job ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. Recent Vermont Public polling found one in five residents have struggled to cover rent or mortgage payments in the past year, and more than 4,800 Vermonters were experiencing homelessness as of September.

Scott, who worked in construction before entering politics, frames the problem as supply and demand. He says the state's housing shortage drives up prices and creates other strains, and he has pushed for fewer regulations on development. At Vermont Public's gubernatorial debate, Scott said, "We need more housing, and there's no governor who has done more for housing than me."

During his tenure, Scott created the Vermont Housing Improvement Program, which provides grants to repair apartment buildings. Owners must rent those units at below-market rates for five to 10 years. He also established the Community and Housing Infrastructure Program, a financing tool allowing developers to borrow against a project's future tax revenue for roads, sidewalks and sewers. Josh Hanford, who served as Scott's housing commissioner until late 2023, described the governor's philosophy as working "both within the free market system and the government subsidized system to sort of meet the housing continuum."

Scott has repeatedly asked lawmakers to ease permitting rules, including restrictions on building near wetlands. In his January 2026 budget address, he said, "If we want the next generation of Vermonters to afford to live here, we've got to treat housing like the crisis it is and make real change this session." Kesha Ram Hinsdale, the Democratic Senate majority leader, said the administration could do more to speed up permitting inside state government. "You have to make government work for people. You can't just sort of slow its gears down and expect that 10 years later, more good things will be happening," Ram Hinsdale said.

Janoo, an economist who rents an Burlington apartment, points instead to ownership patterns. Her campaign site states, "For decades, we've treated housing as an investment rather than a home." During July's primary debate, she said, "We really need to limit private equity and large corporate ownership of the housing stock. We need to increase taxation on second homes, luxury estates, Airbnbs, et cetera, to actually reduce the property tax burden for residential Vermonters." Janoo has said the state lacks property-level data to set exact rates or project revenue.

State tax data shows about 7,400 residential properties were corporation owned in 2025, roughly 3% of all residences. Commissioner Alex Farrell of the Department of Housing and Community Development said a review of more than 20,000 single family home and duplex transfers between 2022 and 2025 found just over 60 transactions where a buyer picked up five or more properties in a year. Farrell said the top buyer was a remodeling company in Newport that renovated homes and sold them to owner occupants.

Vermont Public polling shows most residents back higher taxes on second homes. Janoo has narrowed her proposal to luxury second homes and commercial vacation rentals, excluding modest family camps and long-term rentals. Vermont's general election is Nov. 3.