To the editor: Charlton focuses on housing needs

As a resident of Grafton, one who is in the younger demographic and is involved in our community through both the Grafton Planning Commission and the Development Review board, I have been increasingly interested in the issues that affect the affordability and sustainability of our small town.

Serving on these two municipal boards, for the short time that I have, has given me the opportunity to hear the concerns from Grafton’s residents. Repeatedly I hear concerns that it is becoming harder for working people, young families, and longtime residents to afford to live and remain in our town. These concerns are not limited to Grafton however. They are directly connected to the decisions that are being made in Montpelier, particularly when it comes to housing and education spending.

This is one reason that I have been paying attention to the work of state Rep. Tom Charlton. Tom has made affordability in rural Vermont a significant focus of his work in the legislature. Serving on
the House Committee on General and Housing, gives him a direct role in discussions surrounding housing and the challenges facing Vermont’s rural communities.

Housing is particularly important to Tom because affordability is about more than the price of a house. If we cannot create enough housing for people who work in our communities, we make it harder for businesses to find employees, harder for young families to stay here, and harder for towns like ours to maintain a healthy population. This is why he was a sponsor of H.775, legislation intended to give municipalities additional resources for the financing infrastructure necessary to support housing development in the state.

Tom also sees the connection between housing and education system performance. Our town is one in which we have a failing elementary school system. This is directly related, among other variables, to the decrease in the young population in our town, which first and foremost stems from the fact that affordable housing for these young families is unattainable. Tom realizes this, and it is why he has been outspoken about Vermont’s education funding system.

During the 2026 legislative session, he argued on the House floor that rural communities need meaningful education funding reform rather than simply continuing to adjust tax rates from year to year.

Most importantly, I appreciate that Tom approaches these issues from a rural Vermont community
perspective. His legislative work includes advocating for housing solutions that can work outside of
Vermont’s larger population centers, recognizing that the policies designed for Burlington or other urban areas, do not always translate well to towns like Grafton.

As someone who participates in local government, albeit at a small level, I believe it is critically
important that our representatives understand the practical consequences that state policies have on towns like ours. We spend a great deal of time at the local level, trying to balance variables like housing, development, and infrastructure while maintaining the rural character of our community.

This balance becomes increasingly more difficult when state policies are made by representatives that do not understand the challenges that we face. Tom Charlton has demonstrated a willingness to engage with those difficult issues and to focus on the affordability challenges that are affecting us here in Grafton using his rural community perspective.

Clayton Thompson
Grafton