[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 208 (Wednesday, December 9, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO BRENDA TORPY

 Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize Brenda 
Torpy, who is retiring this month after decades of service at Champlain 
Housing Trust. Brenda is not only a leader and ally in the fight for 
affordable housing, she is a longtime friend.
  When I was elected mayor of Burlington, VT, in 1981, I knew I had a 
unique opportunity to change the way things were done, and to serve 
working families and others who had been left behind by past 
administrations. My vision was for a municipal government that worked 
for every one and increased fairness and equity so that all Burlington 
residents could get ahead. At the time, far too many residents were 
struggling to keep up with rising housing costs due to gentrification 
and development, and owning their own home--a hallmark of the American 
dream--felt like an impossible goal. I wanted to change that.
  My vision for housing in Burlington could never have become a reality 
without Brenda and her work to establish a community land trust in 
Vermont. Brenda served as the city's first housing director in the 
newly created Community and Economic Development Office--CEDO--a role 
in which she demonstrated remarkable talent and dedication. It was 
Brenda and her colleagues who proposed the idea of a community land 
trust, which was a novel idea at the time. Thanks to their work with 
the Institute for Community Economics and their successful engagement 
with the community, this innovative model for affordable housing came 
to the city of Burlington and was established as the Burlington 
Community Land Trust, now the Champlain Housing Trust. The trust did 
something truly transformative: Through shared equity, it gave low-
income people access to homeownership that was never possible before. 
Because the land trust remains affordable in perpetuity, the homes are 
still affordable today and will remain so long into the future.
  From her role at CEDO, Brenda went on to play a pivotal role in the 
Champlain Housing Trust's growth and success. She served as the first 
board president and, in 1991, became the executive director. Nearly 30 
years later, the Champlain Housing Trust is the world's largest 
community land trust, with 2,600 affordable homes, including 566 
designated for shared equity ownership; more than 6,000 members; and 
nearly $300 million in assets. The Champlain Housing Trust has not only 
benefited Burlington area residents and Vermonters. Brenda has used her 
talent and dedication to assist countless communities around the 
country interested in starting their own programs, making the work of 
the trust a national and international model, now established in it at 
least 23 States and 8 countries. Additionally, as an active member of 
the Neighborworks Alliance of Vermont, Brenda partnered with other 
housing organizations to assist Vermonters all across our State.
  I am extremely pleased to see community land trusts serving people 
worldwide, and remain incredibly proud that the model was spearheaded 
in my hometown of Burlington, VT. While much work remains to achieve 
our shared goal of making affordable housing a human right, I am 
enormously grateful to Brenda for her career-long dedication to 
achieving this vision. With Brenda's retirement at the end of this 
year, we will lose an exceptional leader in the housing community, but 
I am confident that her contributions will not be forgotten. The 
Champlain Housing Trust and its portfolio represent an impressive 
legacy, but perhaps even more impressive is the enduring positive 
impact her work has had on the countless lives changed thanks to 
affordable housing. Because of Brenda, older Vermonters on fixed 
incomes are able to stay in their homes; New Americans and refugees can 
provide stability for their families as they adapted to a new culture 
and community; single parents can rely on a safe, consistent home in 
which to raise their children; and young homeowners can break the cycle 
of poverty by purchasing an asset that will grow in value over time. 
Quite simply, Vermont and Vermonters are better off today because of 
Brenda.
  Becoming executive director of the Trust the same year I arrived in 
Washington, it is no exaggeration to say Brenda lent her expertise to 
me generously throughout my time in Congress. There was never an 
instance when my staff and I could not rely on Brenda to provide expert 
insights on the housing challenges we still face, and to put a human 
face on what can seem like abstract and intractable problems. She also 
brought great energy and innovation to this work, and her bold 
thinking--one of the qualities that made her indispensable in my 
municipal administration--will also be sorely missed. I count Brenda 
among my closest allies in affordable housing, and I have greatly 
appreciated working alongside her for nearly four decades. She has been 
a tremendous colleague and friend. I wish her all the best in her well-
deserved retirement.

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