Former Burlington mayor Miro Weinberger is the face of a new group that is trying to get more housing built in Vermont. Let’s Build Homes launched on Tuesday with a Statehouse press conference that brought together major employers, nonprofits and policy leaders. The nonpartisan coalition wants 30,000 new homes to be built by 2030, a goal first set by Vermont Housing Finance Agency in early 2023. That would require developers to more than double the rate of housing construction from the last 15 years, said Weinberger. A former affordable housing developer before serving 12 years as mayor, he added that many of Vermont's problems, including a shrinking workforce and tax base, can be traced to its lack of affordable housing. Vermont had one of the highest rates of homelessness in the country last year, according to VHFA. “There are so many interests that are negatively impacted by Vermont’s housing shortage, and the goal of this group is to represent all of them,” Weinberger said. He said the donation-funded group will advocate in the Statehouse and in community settings.  "We hope to not only change policy, but to change the way Vermonters think about the future of the state," he said. [content-1] About 250 individuals and organizations, including major employers such as the University of Vermont Medical Center, Middlebury College and Vermont Gas, have signed on as supporters of Let’s Build Homes. The press conference also brought together construction company CEOs, bankers and nonprofit leaders. "This is about convening and combining thought leaders across the state to help solve a statewide problem," said David Provost, executive vice president of finance and administration at Middlebury College. Some people fear homebuilding efforts will result in new skyscrapers, he said. But it will make homes more accessible to all types of workers and income levels, Provost said. "We're talking about affording today's Vermonters the same rights and privileges my parents were granted back in the '60s and '70s," said Provost, who grew up in Montpelier.  Policymakers and community leaders have been trying to promote housing construction for several years, and have passed several laws aimed at easing regulatory obstacles and mitigating costs. Affordable housing agencies such as Champlain Housing Trust have built hundreds of new apartments in the last several years. Private developers are also building new homes, mostly in Chittenden County. Housing campaigns  are already under way. CHT, nonprofit housing lender Evernorth and the Chittenden…