BRATTLEBORO-World Learning Inc. is in the first stages of developing a creative answer to the region's housing shortage - a problem that is hitting close to home.
In 2018, when its School for International Training ended on-campus degree programs, World Learning was left with many empty dorm rooms in a cluster of campus residential buildings.
That made the facility the perfect place to temporarily house refugees from such countries as Afghanistan and Senegal when they began arriving in the region.
Now, the campus seems to be thrumming with life, with regular bus service, multiple children riding bicycles and, sometimes, the scent of stews from faraway lands wafting through the air.
But when the refugees were ready to start building their American lives, they've run smack into a problem the rest of Vermont - and much of the nation - is also having: a lack of available housing.
Now, on two empty parcels of land it owns near the campus, World Learning is exploring the possibility of building a multi-family community in partnership with an outside investor.
"We are in the early stages of exploration and project planning, but due to the undisputed problem of a housing shortage in the region, we believe this would be a win-win development project for the Brattleboro community," said Kote Lomidze, World Learning's chief financial and administrative officer and senior vice president of finance.
According to maps provided by World Learning, one of the properties is a parcel of 40.55 acres of land above Buttonwood Drive, off Black Mountain Road and just above Putney Road.
The other is 64.5 acres of mostly undeveloped land, including a pond, that surrounds the west side of Exit 3 of I-91, beginning at the boundary of Black Mountain Park.
Envisioning 150–200 multifamily units
The idea for building homes originated from World Learning's firsthand experience of how long it takes for refugees staying on SIT's campus to find permanent housing.
"The up-zoning of these parcels would be much like Buttonwood Estates and Black Mountain Park, but geared toward affordable, multi-family housing," Lomidze said. "The prospective zoning SIT is requesting would allow for up to 150 to 200 multi-family units in total on two parcels of land equaling 105 acres near SIT's main campus."
The placement of the parcels means that the long, uninterrupted view of the Connecticut Valley - prized by many who have visited World Learning's campus - would not be impacted.
The area's proximity to the highway, public transit, SIT's campus, grocery stores, public utilities, and other services "makes this area an ideal location for development," Lomidze said.
World Learning executives have started going to Planning Commission meetings as details, especially of the funding, are still being worked out.
"As an educational institution, World Learning is more likely to partner with a third party who could act as an investor, a property manager, and/or a landlord down the road," Lomidze said.
He noted that the institution has had preliminary discussions with "potential partners who await the land's re-zoning to justify continued expenses in project design and planning to begin moving toward permitting and development."
Planning Director Sue Fillion said the town is "always eager" to work with people who are interested in developing housing.
"We're excited to work with World Learning to see if they can make a project happen on their land," Fillion said. "We have such an incredible need for housing that a project of this size would help us make progress on our housing needs."
This News item by Joyce Marcel was written for The Commons.