Grants to help Vermont property managers install EV charging stations for tenants

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Grant money will make it easier for people who live in apartments to own electric vehicles.

The Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development has awarded $1 million in grant funds to subsidize the cost of purchasing and installing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at multiunit properties like apartments, to provide residents with at-home charging access.

“The most convenient place for people to charge their electric vehicles is usually at home where the car is parked for usually eight hours or more at a time,” said Bronwyn Cooke of the Department of Housing and Community Development.

The program’s pilot focused on affordable and nonprofit multiunit housing providers. This first round of awarded projects will result in more than 80 new charging ports at 37 locations across the state.

“Installing a charging station in a multiunit property can be a little bit more expensive, so we really wanted to help reduce that cost, particularly for affordable housing providers and again just making the program, making EV charging more equitable for all Vermont residents,” Cooke said.

Employees at one of the property management companies that received the grant say that putting in the charging stations will close the gap between people wanting an electric vehicle and actually being able to make it happen.

“There’s been a lot of emphasis on the cost for purchasing a car but there hasn’t been a lot of conversation about the cost then of getting the charging station, which for a lot of people is just out of reach. So, I think this will be very exciting,” said Greg Montgomery, the project manager at Cathedral Square.

They say the charging stations will be welcome at their properties and will be beneficial to the environment and their residents as well.

“At one property where they’re going to get installed, a resident’s been running an extension cord out his window to charge his car, so that’ll be very exciting to no longer have to do that for him,” Montgomery said.

State officials say this is just the beginning and they’re looking forward to the future of making electric vehicles more accessible.

“Long term, I think we just want to see increased adoption of electric vehicles. We want people to be able to access those cost-saving benefits, the health benefits of what electric vehicles mean,” Cooke said.

And Vermont Gov. Phil Scott has already approved another $3 million in funding to continue the program.

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