Vermont Community & Housing Infrastructure Program

CHIP Project Screening Tool

A first-pass screen for town housing committees. Enter what you know about a site and see what CHIP tax increment would cover, what the buildings would have to carry, and where the plan stands.

Model version AMI table VHFA 2025 Screening only not underwriting

The site 1 of 3

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 improvement cost
Per home, before contingency. Type over it if you have a real number.
/ unit
Total site improvement cost $0

Unit mix and pricing 3 of 3

Bedrooms Homes Affordable rental Homes · net rent / mo Affordable sale Homes · max price Market sale Editable Homes · sale price
Total000

Rents and affordable prices come from the VHFA affordability table for this town's area. Market prices default to twice the 80% AMI purchase price and can be edited. CHIP treats a development as affordable at 80% AMI or below for rentals and 120% or below for ownership, which earns the higher increment share and skips the but-for test.

Project Screening Report

Inputs
Untitled project
Summary
0
Homes
0
Bedrooms
0
Total sq ft
$0
Total development cost
HomesTypeAffordability Rent / price
Net position
$0

Infrastructure
CHIP increment retained over 20 years
Site work, contingency, acquisition and town costs
Shortfall
Buildings
Rental debt supported by the affordable rents
Affordable sale proceeds
Market sale proceeds
Total cost to build, including fee and reserves
Shortfall

A surplus on the buildings can cover a shortfall on the infrastructure. It does not run the other way: CHIP increment can only be spent on eligible infrastructure. 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 the site work estimate and your municipal tax rate before relying on a result, and commission a feasibility study before the town commits.