Built by Hopestead LLC

CHIP Project Screening Tool

A first-pass screen for towns interested in utilizing Vermont's Community & Housing Infrastructure Program. Enter what you know about a site to see what CHIP tax increment would cover and what type of unit mix makes the most sense.

Model version AMI table VHFA April 2026 Screening only not for underwriting

The site 1 of 3

This field cannot be left blank

What the site is assessed at today. Only value above this generates increment.

Enter $0 for town-owned land. Acquisition is an eligible CHIP cost.

Site work needed 2 of 3

Site work, hard costsInput the actual amount if you have it
Soft costs and contingency on site work $0
Total site costs $0 / home $0

Unit mix and pricing 3 of 3

Reorder Home type Bedrooms Price Units Remove
Total 0 beds 0 homes

Scroll the table sideways to see every column →

Add a row for each kind of home. Market-rate prices are editable. Affordable rents and prices are set by the VHFA table for this area and cannot be typed over. All AMI rents shown are after utility allowance reduction.

Additional income and costs
Reorder Item Type Amount Remove
Net monthly $0
Net one-time $0

Scroll the table sideways to see every column →

Condo or association dues, a rented parking space or storage bay, a shared road agreement, the cost of building the thing that earns the income, the sale of an asset. A monthly figure is treated as project income the same way a rent is — it moves debt capacity, the assessment and the tax increment together. A one-time figure sits on the buildings side and does neither.

Project Screening Report

Inputs
Untitled project
Summary
0
Homes
0 / 0
Rentals / Sales
0%
Affordable
$0
Total development cost
0 / 0
Bedrooms / Bathrooms
0
Total sq ft
—
Net operating income
$0
Annual tax increment generated
Unit mix and pricing
HomesType AffordabilityPrice
Net position
$0

Infrastructure costs
Total site costs, including hard and soft costs + contingency
Site acquisition cost
Allowance for town incurred costs
Infrastructure sources
Total tax increment retained through CHIP
Additional funding sources
Total infrastructure
Building costs
Total cost to build
Interest and reserves
Commission and closing costs
Building sources
Permanent debt supported by rentals
Affordable sale proceeds
Market sale proceeds
Total buildings

A surplus on the buildings can cover a funding gap on the infrastructure. It does not run the other way: CHIP increment can only be spent on eligible infrastructure. Any other funding source you add is not restricted that way, and can cover either. Every home must be someone's primary residence for the life of the CHIP agreement, verified by homestead declaration or landlord certificate.

Assumptions used

This is a screening tool, not an underwriting model. It uses published tax and affordability data with planning-level cost estimates to show whether a site is worth pursuing. Confirm all costs and verify assumptions before relying on a result.