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ABOUT US:
North Haven Sustainable Housing embarks on its first project With a two acre lot donated by local resident Charlie Pingree, $25,000 in locally-raised funds and a matching grant of $25,000 from the Islands Challenge Fund , the members of North Haven Sustainable Housing (NHSH) are ready to start construction on an energy efficient, affordable home. On October 6, NHSH
members John Dietter (pictured at right with house plans
with Genesis Fund board member George Shaw) Pat Curtis,
and Joan Amory walked Genesis board members and staff around
the construction site on the first day of excavation. Beginning in 2004, NHSH, an all-volunteer community group, saw the need for year-round affordable housing and contacted Genesis for assistance in becoming an incorporated nonprofit organization. With the promise of donated land from NHSH board member Charlie Pingree, the group approached the Islands Challenge Fund and was awarded a $25,000 challenge grant in March 2006. Members spent the spring and summer of 2006 busily engaged in both clearing the lot of trees and brush and raising $25,000 in matching funds from the local community. By early fall, both goals were accomplished and a local excavator rolled in to begin foundation work.
As the site preparation continues, members of the board are working on eligibility and selection criteria to choose a North Haven year-round resident or family as the new homeowner. The locally-raised funds and the Islands Challenge Fund grant will allow the completed home to be sold for $130,000, which falls into the standard guidelines of affordable for a family that makes 80 percent of the area median income. Islands Challenge Fund coordinator and Genesis Associate Director Liza Fleming-Ives commented, "This is a great example of how the Islands Challenge Fund can be a catalyst to help volunteer community groups develop much-needed affordable year-round housing on their islands. Knowing that the grant funds are in the offing really helps groups raise local funds." Dietter explained, "While we're setting the house back from the road, we've cleared enough trees so that people can see what a solid, attractive house this will be. We want people to know that affordable housing can be high quality housing. We hope this will be the first of many. We're off to a great start." |
