In Vermont, the stereotype you hear about independence and self-sufficiency often holds true, says Dawn Cross, HomeOwnership Center director and the sole housing counselor at Rural Edge. As a result, the people who walk through her door needing housing help often wait until they've exhausted every possible resource. "They go into credit card debt. They empty their savings. And when people come knocking on the door to shut off the lights or take the house away, that's when they finally look for help."
One by one, 