Patrick Leahy was elected to the United States Senate in 1974 and remains the only Democrat elected to this office from Vermont. At 34, he was the youngest U.S. Senator ever to be elected from the Green Mountain State.
Leahy was born in Montpelier and grew up across from the State House. A graduate of Saint Michael's College in Colchester (1961), he received his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center (1964). He served for eight years as State's Attorney in Chittenden County where he gained a national reputation for his law enforcement activities and was selected as one of three outstanding prosecutors in the United States in 1974.
“I have witnessed countless efforts and investments into Vermont’s communities during my time in the Senate, and am proud to share the success of your great work during my time in Washington. In Congress, I have constantly worked to help ensure that the federal government lives up to its responsibility to provide resources to care for and protect Americans. There are competing schools of thought about the role of the federal government in Congress, but there is no doubt of the impact that Community Development Block Grants and other housing resources has had on improving the vibrant legacy of Vermont.”
-Senator Patrick Leahy
Senator Leahy’s housing priorities include:
In Vermont and throughout the country the economic and housing crisis highlighted the difficulty for many individuals and families to find a place to call home. High costs and limited availability of safe, affordable housing are consistent barriers for Vermont families trying to find housing.
To successfully meet the housing needs of Vermonters, Senator Leahy works closely with many state and community partners who are seeking to build and rehabilitate housing, as well as to make our existing housing stock more efficient. These partnerships include the State of Vermont, multiple non-profit organizations, and federal partners that include the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA-RD), Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and more.
Through his time in the Senate, Senator Leahy has made it his priority to support legislation and provide funding for programs that encourages the building and preservation of affordable housing in Vermont, combats homelessness and works towards ending homelessness among children and youth, provides assistance to first time homebuyers to reach their home ownership goals and helps to make homes more energy efficient.
Senator Leahy supports programs that rehabilitate and modernize aging properties, assist with home repair for low-income families, provide tax credit to first time home buyers, and bridge loans to those struggling to make their mortgage payments to avoid foreclosure.