HANCOCK COUNTY COALITION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING GROUPS
Summary of Meeting
June 17, 2010
Persons Attending: Loretta Roberts, city of Ellsworth; Chris Spruce, Island Housing Trust; Marissa Hutchinson, Deer Isle-Stonington; Jon Hopkins, Brooklin Community Housing; Jimmy Goodson, Hancock County Habitat for Humanity; and Tom Martin, Hancock County Planning Commission.
Main Points Discussed:
Habitat for Humanity: It recently completed a 4-bedroom, 2-bath house on Tanglewood Way in Ellsworth. The cost was approximately $99,039. It now has a second home (three bedroom, one bath) under construction on Boggy Brook Road in Ellsworth. It is expected to cost $88,000 - $92,000. Habitat is using a standard prototype dwelling. The units have the same width. The length changes according to the size of the unit needed.
It is using vocational schools for constructing certain components such as trusses. Dow Chemical will supply rigid insulation to homes built by Habitat. Another firm donates paint. The local Habitat board wants to do more housing rehabilitation but this is challenging due to costs and modern building standards.
Habitat has several fund raising ventures. The Ellsworth ReStore, which sells donated building supplies, averages about $5,000 a month in revenue. Habitat also has an outreach program to schools such as a hoops program. It has tournaments for fund raising. The Sumner and Ellsworth schools are currently participating.
Deer Isle-Stonington: The group is looking at a 22-acre parcel of land in Stonington adjacent to the downtown. The land has some ledge. The group hopes to use some of the land as a conservation parcel and build a combination of multi-family units and clustered single family units on the remaining land. Town sewer could be extended to the parcel and a communal water system is being considered. The group is exploring design options. It is interviewing potential occupants. It plans to survey young island residents to determine what people need and are able to afford.
It is also looking at converting a funeral home into some apartments, but the costs are high. It has considered purchasing various, older vacant homes on the island and rehabilitating them. This is expensive due to lead paint removal plus other costs to bring homes up to current energy efficiency and life-safety standards.
Island Housing Trust and Other MDI Housing Ventures: . Demand for workforce housing on MDI has dropped. However, the average monthly year-round rent for a house on MDI is about $1,100.
There are four occupied units at the Ripples Hill development and one under construction. This will conclude Phase I of the development. Three units are planned for Phase II. The development is approved for a total of nineteen units. The design is for a 1,300 square-foot two-story house. The base price is $170,000 for a stripped down model plus a radon gas removal fee of $4,500.
The Ripples Hill units meet MSHA green standards. The Ripples homes are not built until a qualified buyer can be found. This avoids the risks of speculative building. Elsewhere on MDI there are speculative work force housing units that are unsold. There was general discussion amongst those attending the meeting that units with atypical design were sometimes hard to sell.
Chris is raising funds for sewer and other infrastructure. Emily Marin is developing workforce housing in Bar Harbor. One house in her development sold recently for $177,000. She has a 4-lot subdivision and is selling at cost. Chris is trying fund raising from the summer community.
Brooklin: The group is trying to decide whether to build the first house. The design borrows from Ripple Creek. It is presently determining costs. It has a fund raising goal of $300,000 to $350,000. It aims to build a total of five houses on different lots in town. It is not sure of the market for buyers. It was suggested that the group try social media such as Facebook™ to reach younger buyers. Talking to employers might also be useful. Newspaper ads have proven less productive. The Brooklin group is creating a focus group to help determine the best way to find network of buyers. There is some discussion about a local Realtor® putting properties on Multiple Listing Service and giving a nominal fee to the Realtor®. Demand has slumped in part because there are a number of houses for sale for under $170,000.
The group needs a “trophy” first buyer to inspire other buyers plus encourage fund raising. The recession has meant a job reduction in Brooklin by about one-third to one-half. It was suggested that the group have an open house.
Castine: The developers of the cooperative housing venture are seeking town approval. The trailer park is also expanding.
County-Wide Well and Septic Replacement Program: Tom Martin described the county-wide program that allows income-qualifying households to have wells and septic systems replaced. The grant paperwork is being processed and an application process for individual homeowners will be initiated.