[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 180 (Wednesday, November 14, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S6959]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO SARAH CARPENTER

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, it is with great appreciation and a touch 
of sadness that I note the upcoming retirement of Sarah Carpenter. Her 
retirement culminates 20 years of dedicated service as the executive 
director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, VHFA. Through her 
enduring commitment to affordable housing, Sarah has helped tens of 
thousands of Vermonters into homes and helped to establish and shape 
our State's affordable housing infrastructure.
  Sarah's career spanned four decades during which time she was a 
consistent leader in the affordable housing community. As executive 
director of Cathedral Square Corporation between 1983 and 1998, Sarah 
worked to develop and manage housing that met the needs of differently 
abled and aging Vermonters. She oversaw the operation of 430 units of 
supportive housing and provided housing development and management 
assistance to 20 projects across the State.
  As executive director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Sarah 
advanced the agency's mission to finance and promote affordable, safe, 
and decent housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income 
Vermonters. Sarah oversaw $2.2 billion in lending in Vermont, and in 
her time with VHFA, the agency closed over 10,000 home loans, making a 
significant contribution to homeownership in the State of Vermont. She 
has been an effective leader whose work has expanded the amount of 
permanent supportive housing dedicated to people experiencing 
homelessness. Not only was Sarah an inspiring leader, she was also a 
strong and compassionate manager. Since 2015, the Vermont Chamber of 
Commerce and Vermont Business Magazine have included VHFA on their list 
of Vermont's Best Places to Work.
  Sarah's contribution to the affordable housing community extends into 
her community service. She is a founding member of the Housing Vermont 
board and a founding member of the Burlington Community Land Trust. She 
has been a member of dozens of boards and special committees dedicated 
to various aspects of housing finance and the promotion of safe, 
affordable, and decent housing for Vermonters of all means. Her service 
has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Senator Patrick 
Leahy Leadership Award from the Committee on Temporary Shelter in 2007.
  Sarah is a lifelong Vermonter who has dedicated her career to 
ensuring those in her home State can afford a home. She was a key 
architect of the system that today creates and finances the production 
and preservation of affordable rental housing across the State. She has 
worked closely with my office to improve the Low Income Housing Tax 
Credit program, including ensuring priority is given to projects that 
propose to target 25 percent of their units to Vermonters who have 
experienced homelessness. Sarah's informed advocacy has strengthened 
this and other Federal housing programs so they can work for Vermont 
and Vermonters. I commend her service to the State and thank her on 
behalf of the countless Vermont families that she has helped into 
homes.

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