A bill seeking to place an enrollment cap on UVM until Burlington’s housing vacancy rate rises above 5% was introduced in the Vermont House of Representatives on Feb. 7.

Representative Troy Headrick, I-Chittenden 15, is the primary sponsor of H.170, which mirrors an earlier attempt by him to limit UVM’s enrollment in 2023. The first bill did not move on from its introduction. 

Headrick said that when he heard about potential new dorms and apartments being built for UVM in 2023, his constituents were immediately worried.

“There is a really clear track record that the University has every time they build new housing,” Headrick said. “Within five years, they have expanded enrollment to beyond the capacity of that new housing, and then that increase in enrollment ultimately spills out into the neighborhoods.”

A healthy vacancy rate is between 5% and 10%, according to Chase Bank. The most recent data from 2022 measures Burlington’s at 0.8%. 

The bill aims to do three things. First, it proposes to limit the enrollment of UVM when the vacancy rate of Burlington is below 5%. 

Second, the bill would require University housing to meet municipal housing codes and state rental and safety laws.

Finally, H.170 would establish a UVM Housing Task Force that would monitor compliance and recommend policy changes to on-campus University housing. 

The task force would consist of the state auditor, one house representative, one senator, the mayor of Burlington or a designee, two UVM trustees including one student, and one Burlington city councilor.

“The University didn’t want to make the concessions that the city was asking them to make,” Headrick said. “I paused on that 2023 bill for as long as I could because I was hoping the University and the city could work this out.”

Adam White, spokesperson for the University, said that UVM remains committed to maintaining an enrollment that best fits campus infrastructure, class sizes and the student-to-faculty ratio, in a Feb. 12 emailed statement to the Cynic. 

The legislature has final oversight on how the University is conducting itself and the impact that it’s having on the surrounding community, Headrick said.

Representatives from Burlington Housing Authority did not immediately respond to an attempt to obtain comment. 

Headrick said he is trying to temper his expectations for the bill, but remains hopeful. 

“I’m trying to be pragmatic,” he said. “If this gets attention, it probably won’t be until the end of this session or into next year.”