My Strategic Priorities for a Better Vermont
Building a future where healthcare, economic justice, and disability rights are at the heart of our community policies.
Expanding Developmental Disability Services
Flipping the script on healthcare practices and prioritizing patients over profits, Owen Dybvig offers a vision for meaningful, functional redesign. Instead of a system driven primarily by institutional convenience or financial incentives, Dybvig calls for a model centered on dignity, access, and the real needs of people receiving care. His approach recognizes that healthcare must work for the individuals living within it — not force individuals to struggle within a system that was never designed with them in mind.
At the heart of this vision is a commitment to expanding coverage for home-based care and mental health services. For many individuals with disabilities, the ability to receive care at home is not simply a preference, it is the difference between independence and institutionalization. Home-based services allow people to remain connected to their families, communities, and daily lives while receiving the support they need. By strengthening and expanding these services, Vermont can create a system that respects autonomy and recognizes that the best care often happens where people live.
Dybvig also emphasizes the importance of ensuring that mental health services are fully integrated into disability support systems. Too often, individuals who live with developmental disabilities or related conditions find themselves excluded from services because they do not meet narrow definitions or bureaucratic criteria. This gap leaves many people without the resources they need to thrive.
To address this need, Dybvig advocates for expanding eligibility and modernizing the criteria used to determine access to Developmental Disability Services. The goal is to ensure that individuals whose support needs clearly align with the purpose of these programs are not left behind simply because they fall outside outdated technical definitions. A more flexible, needs-based system would better reflect the realities of people’s lives and prevent families from falling through cracks that should not exist in the first place.
By investing in home-based care, strengthening mental health supports, and reforming eligibility standards, Dybvig’s approach aims to build a healthcare and disability support system that is rooted in compassion, practicality, and fairness. The result would be a Vermont where support services truly meet people where they are — empowering individuals with disabilities to live with stability, connection, and dignity.
Affordable Housing
Vermont is facing a growing affordable housing crisis that is affecting families, workers, seniors, and people with disabilities across the state. Housing costs have risen dramatically in recent years, while wages for many Vermonters have not kept pace. As a result, thousands of people are spending far too much of their income just to afford rent or a mortgage. When more than 30 percent of a household’s income goes toward housing, it is considered cost-burdened, and many Vermonters are paying far more than that. This leaves little money for other basic needs like food, healthcare, transportation, and childcare.
The shortage of housing has made it extremely difficult for people to find homes in the communities where they work and where their families live.
Teachers, caregivers, healthcare workers, service workers, and young professionals are increasingly unable to afford housing near their jobs. Many are forced to move farther away, commute long distances, or leave Vermont entirely. At the same time, seniors who want to age in their communities are struggling to find smaller, affordable homes, and people with disabilities often face an even greater challenge due to a lack of accessible and supportive housing options.
The crisis also places tremendous pressure on Vermont’s economy and social systems. Businesses struggle to hire workers when employees cannot find housing. Communities lose population as families move away. Homelessness continues to rise, and existing emergency systems such as shelters and temporary housing programs become overwhelmed. Without stable housing, individuals face increased stress, poorer health outcomes, and fewer opportunities to succeed in school or work.
Solving Vermont’s housing crisis will require strong leadership and bold action. The state must invest in building more affordable homes, encourage responsible development, and reduce barriers that make housing construction slow and expensive. Communities must work together to support zoning and planning policies that allow for more housing options, including apartments, starter homes, and accessible housing for people with disabilities. Programs that help first-time homebuyers, renters, and low-income households must also be strengthened so that more Vermonters can achieve housing stability.
Affordable housing is not just about buildings—it is about people. It is about ensuring that every Vermonter has a safe, stable place to live and the opportunity to remain in the communities they love. When we invest in housing, we invest in stronger families, healthier communities, and a more resilient Vermont. By working together to expand affordable housing and improve accessibility, Vermont can build a future where everyone has a place to call home.
Owen's Story
Owen Dybvig’s journey is rooted in a simple belief: the people closest to the challenges should help lead the solutions. Having personally navigated the realities of disability healthcare and caregiver support, Owen understands how systems can fail the very people they are meant to serve. That lived experience drives a commitment to shaping policy that serves people first — not bureaucracy.
This campaign is grounded in economic justice and radical accessibility. It is about building a Vermont where disabled voices are not an afterthought, where caregivers are supported, where working families can afford to live, and where government reflects real lived experience.
Owen is running to help create a Vermont where dignity is non-negotiable, opportunity is real, and hope is backed by action. Owen is the Founder for the advocacy group, Vermont Advocates for Individuals with Limitations, VAILvt.org.
Join the Campaign
We are building a Vermont where disability rights, healthcare access, and economic justice are at the forefront. Your voice is the heartbeat of this movement—join Owen today and let’s grow our community-driven campaign together.
Joining offers you access to campaign progress newsletters.
Advocacy • Access • Justice • Care • Community