Bennington Housing Authority

What Bennington Housing Authority does

Bennington Housing Authority (BHA) is a public housing agency established in 1970 by the Bennington Board of Aldermen, operating under the regulatory framework of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Vermont State Housing Authority. The agency owns and manages 195 apartments across four affordable housing developments in Bennington, Vermont: Willowbrook Apartments (75 family units, opened 1973), Brookside Apartments (50 senior/disabled units, opened 1975), Walloomsac Apartments (50 senior/disabled units, opened 1980), and Beech Court Apartments (20 family units, opened 1982). Each property operates under project-based Section 8 vouchers, and the portfolio includes accessible units and community rooms serving seniors, persons with disabilities, and low-income families. The agency is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners appointed by the Town of Bennington Selectboard, with an Executive Director (Lindsay Vajda) leading a staff of approximately 8 employees.

BHA's revenue model is government-funded rather than market-driven. The agency's principal revenue streams are federal HUD appropriations supporting the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program (administering up to 260 tenant-based vouchers), project-based Section 8 voucher complexes, and Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) units subsidized by HUD, the State of Vermont, and tenant rental contributions. Tenants typically pay approximately 30% of household income toward rent under the HCV program, with HUD-funded Housing Assistance Payments covering the remainder up to payment-standard limits. BHA also operates a Mainstream Voucher sub-program (53 vouchers) targeted at non-elderly disabled adults. Tenant and partner services are augmented through external partnerships with Bennington College's DREAM youth mentoring program and Shires Housing's SASH (Support and Services at Home) wellness coordination program, both of which are delivered on-site at BHA properties.

The organization serves a highly concentrated tenant base within the Town of Bennington and a six-mile radius, with primary customer segments being low-income families, seniors aged 62+, persons with disabilities, and Section 8 HCV participants in the private rental market. BHA maintains compliance with HUD Housing Quality Standards, Equal Opportunity Housing requirements, and the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The agency's strategic posture is fundamentally administrative and stewardship-oriented rather than competitive; expansion is primarily through programmatic partnerships and incremental voucher allocation rather than new property acquisition or geographic expansion.

Name

Bennington Housing Authority

Legal name

Bennington Housing Authority

Website

https://benningtonhousingauthority.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bennington Housing Authority is a public housing agency established in 1970 that owns and manages 195 affordable apartments across four properties and administers 260 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in Bennington, Vermont, serving low-income families, seniors, and persons with disabilities under HUD funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Affordable Housing

NAICS

Residential Property Managers (531311), Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (53111), Administration of Housing Programs (92511)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAJAFAD

Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8)

Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/Residential Property Management

SECONDARYFSALAKAI

Housing Voucher & Rental Assistance Programs (Tenant-Based/Project-Based)

Financial & Insurance/Mortgage & Housing Finance/Housing Finance Agencies & Government-Sponsored Housing Programs

SECONDARYBPAIACAJ

Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

Keywords

• Affordable housing
• Public housing authority
• Section 8 vouchers
• Rental assistance
• Low-income housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Bennington, Vermont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program: Government-funded rental assistance program administered by BHA for up to 260 households. HUD provides funding for rental assistance payments to private landlords on behalf of eligible low-income households.
2. Project-Based Section 8 Vouchers: BHA operates project-based voucher complexes where rental assistance is attached to specific affordable housing developments to ensure affordability regardless of tenant income.
3. RAD (Rental Assistance Demonstration) Units: Rental assistance demonstration units funded through HUD, the State of Vermont, and rental payments from RAD units.
4. Affordable Rental Housing: BHA owns and manages 195 apartments across four affordable housing developments with project-based Section 8 vouchers. Tenants pay rent based on income (typically 30%).

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Core offering

Bennington Housing Authority is a public housing agency that owns and manages 195 affordable rental apartments across four housing developments and administers 260 tenant-based Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers for low-income seniors, persons with disabilities, and families in the Town of Bennington, Vermont.

Product overview

Bennington Housing Authority operates as a unified affordable housing platform combining property management and rental assistance programs. The core portfolio consists of four housing properties (Willowbrook, Beech Court, Walloomsac, and Brookside Apartments) managing 195 total units for families, seniors, and persons with disabilities. Supplementary to physical properties, BHA administers the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program supporting up to 260 tenant-based vouchers and Mainstream Vouchers for non-elderly disabled adults. Resident services are embedded through the DREAM youth mentoring program and SASH (Support and Services at Home) coordination, creating an integrated ecosystem supporting housing stability and self-sufficiency for very low-income households in Bennington, Vermont.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Willowbrook Apartments Family housing complex on Willowbrook Drive and Shepard Street with 75 apartments in 10 buildings, including two, three, four, and five bedroom units, plus two wheelchair-accessible apartments.
• Beech Court Apartments Family housing complex at 201 Beech Street with 20 two, three, and four bedroom rowhouse-style apartments across four buildings, including one ground-floor wheelchair-accessible unit.
• Walloomsac Apartments Senior and disabled housing at 206 School Street with 50 one-bedroom apartments across a three-story complex, including 6 wheelchair-friendly units and a community room.
• Brookside Apartments Senior and disabled housing at 323 South Street in a five-story building containing 26 one-bedroom and 24 efficiency units, plus a ground-floor community room.
• Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8 HCV) Tenant-based rental assistance program providing up to 260 vouchers that help eligible low-income families afford safe housing; participants pay approximately 30% of income toward rent while BHA subsidizes the balance to the housing provider.
• Mainstream Housing Choice Voucher Program Specialized Section 8 vouchers designated for households with a disabled, non-elderly adult (ages 18-61), with preference for applicants experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
• DREAM Program Youth mentoring and enrichment program for children ages 5-18 living in affordable housing, offering mentoring, adventure programming, summer enrichment, overnight camp at Camp DREAM, and academic support.
• SASH Program (Support and Services at Home) Coordinates resources from social-service agencies, community health providers, and nonprofit housing organizations to support older adults and people with special needs living independently at Brookside and Walloomsac, provided through a Wellness Nurse and SASH Care Coordinator.
• Self-Sufficiency Programs Comprehensive services helping residents pursue self-sufficiency, including education resources (CCV, VSAC scholarships, Tutorial Center), workforce development (CDC career training), financial capability training, healthcare access, food assistance, and youth activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• BHA supports residents and Section 8 participants to maintain successful residency, improve quality of life, and pursue self-sufficiency.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bennington College DREAM ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDREAM (Developing Relationships through Enrichment, Activities and Mentoring) is an organization that pairs college students with children and teenagers in a mentoring program. The Bennington College DREAM program is partnered with kids at BHA's Willowbrook Apartments, pairing children with older mentors for games and new experiences including trips to the Burlington Aquarium.
• Shires Housing (SASH Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bennington County SASH (Support and Services at Home) program is provided by Shires Housing. SASH coordinators work with residents at Brookside and Walloomsac Apartments, coordinating resources from social-service agencies, community health providers, and nonprofit housing organizations to support Vermonters living independently.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Boston Housing Authority: One of the largest PHAs in the U.S., administering thousands of HCVs and operating a substantial owned portfolio. Operates the same statutory/regulatory model as BHA but at a vastly larger scale.
• Vermont State Housing Authority: State-level housing finance and development agency providing funding, oversight, and policy direction to Vermont PHAs including BHA. Overlaps in program administration and acts as a regulator/funder to BHA.

Direct peers

• Brattleboro Housing Authority: Vermont PHA operating project-based affordable housing and administering Section 8 vouchers in Windham County. Closest geographic and program analogue to BHA in the same state regulatory environment.
• Housing Authority of the City of New Haven: Municipal PHA administering Section 8 HCVs and operating a portfolio of project-based affordable housing for low-income families, seniors, and disabled residents. Same federally-defined program mix as BHA.
• Burlington Housing Authority: Vermont's largest municipal PHA, administering Section 8 HCVs and operating project-based public housing in Burlington. Comparable in statutory mission (Vermont PHA administering HUD programs) but materially larger in scale.
• Cambridge Housing Authority: Massachusetts PHA operating public housing units and administering HCVs for low-income households. Comparable business model (owned project-based stock + tenant-based vouchers) at a larger but similar municipal scale.

Regional players

• THM Property Management: Vermont-based property manager of affordable housing units. Operates in Bennington and competes for the same low-income tenant pool BHA serves with project-based Section 8.
• Shires Housing: Vermont-based nonprofit affordable housing provider operating affordable rental properties and SASH supportive services in Bennington County. Direct operational overlap in BHA's service area and named partner via SASH.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bennington-housing-authority

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bennington Housing Authority