NeahCasa
a community housing trust|
NeahCasa 10th Street Project
A phased development, starting with an on-the-ground collaborative demonstration of a higher level of green affordable housing. The initial phase is construction of two Net Zero Energy Flexplex houses, one in the shade and one in the sun. Project PLan as of 8/30/09 in PDF format SUMMARY OF PROJECT PLAN: The site is a 10.6 acre property abutting the west city limits of Nehalem, Oregon. It is within two blocks of the elementary school and playground, community center ( seen above from property - with swimming pool, daycare, after-school program, fitness center and community college), Senior Meals, Head Start, and the Post Office. It is only a few more blocks to the downtown shops, bus stops and the river. Elevations of use areas are between +130' to +170' Mean Sea Level, ensuring protection from tsunami and global warming. The property is presently privately owned by individuals committed to the project and its ideals. NeahCasa has an option to buy it. 10th Street is a demonstration project for a series of innovative approaches to housing developed by NeahCasa. Valuable individually, together they create a new and more effective paradigm of housing design and ownership with exciting possibilities to:
The project is being pioneered by a core partnership between NeahCasa, the NW Regional Community Land Trust Coalition, Northwest Oregon Community Development Collaborative (NOW CDC) and Community Action Team, with a dozen or more additional local community and professional partners. PROJECT ELEMENTS - The site’s topography and rural residential zoning made its acquisition affordable, while presenting opportunities to demonstrate creative green planning to benefit difficult sites:
ZERO ENERGY HOMES: As well as being permanently affordable under the Community Land Trust model, it is intended that the homes on the Nehalem site be green prototypes that showcase NeahCasa's ideals such as flex housing, sweat equity construction and more. Tom Bender is in discussion with the Tillamook County Public Utility District (PUD) to help sponsor two prototype Zero Energy Homes - one for a shaded site and one with good solar exposure. Stay tuned! FINANCIAL: The landuse issues of this project have taken much longer than expected, so the original purchasers of the property have set up a LLC of local investors to land bank a portion of the property. The 10th Street LLC is now complete (as of Fall, 2009) with 10 investors contributing a total of $60,000 (most contributing $5,000 each) to purchase Parcel 3 (1/5 of the total acerage). Their intention is to landbank this for up to 5 years while NeahCasa raises funds to purchase it back. Anyone interested in how this model for local investment works should contact NeahCasa or Tom Bender or call 503-368-6294.
.
..
NEAHCASA INNOVATIONS INDEX: Tom Bender * 30 Aug 2009
OVERVIEWS: TIME TO RETHINK AFFORDABLE HOUSING. A brief listing of some of the root causes of housing problems that are not being fully addressed. [Tom Bender website] THE FIVE HORSEMEN OF OUR APOCALYPSE. Some of the pressures towards collapse of our existing economy. [Tom Bender website] Redoing our whole housing paradigm so homeowners rather than financial institutions and energy companies benefit, reducing total costs by 80%. [Tom Bender website]
MOVING OUTSIDE THE MONEY BOX: Use of existing tax credits with moving land into UGBs for affordable housing to get the land available at no cost. [NC website] Strategy for permanently paying off CLT housing in 25 years. [NC website] More details on how a CLT can permanently pay off its housing in 25 years by market-rate rental of 1/4 of its units, and next steps. [Tom Bender website]
MONEY: What were available options for funding construction/acquisition. [NC website] Strategy using Self-Directed IRAs for people to shift retirement savings from stock market into support of local community housing. [NC website] Some sources of local public investment for affordable housing. [NC website] Some public policy options to help affordable housing. [NC website]
ENERGY: The concept of building/retrofitting homes to eliminate need for heating systems and bringing them close to eliminating the energy costs that are greater than construction costs. [NC website] Daily Astorian article on NZE retrofits of existing homes to reduce energy use by 80%. [Tom Bender website] Overview of combining NZE retrofits with ADU ordinances for multiple benefits from today's existing homes. [Tom Bender website]
SMALLER AND BETTER HOMES: Some of the real costs of our oversized homes, and an intro to how wonderful small homes can be if done right. [Tom Bender website]
Report on an executed conversion of a ranch home into a flexible shared housing/workplace with major energy upgrades. [Tom Bender website] A new concept of (duplex) home design based on ability to shift its organization and use over time from multi-generational to up/down duplex to ADU to home occupation to rentable guestroom. Passive solar, 1.5 story, set up for NZE and modular construction. [Tom Bender website] This, with "FlexPlex" and NC's Plan Book, show what is "possible" with factory construction. There are downsides also. [NC website] Reminder of the ease and importance of having soul in our homes. [NC website]
RELATED "TIE-INS": Everything is connected. Brief touch on rural non-profit carshare system and its potential benefits for housing affordability. [NC website]
NEXT STEPS: INNOVATIVE COLLABORATION.doc Some "next step" fundable projects for moving forward towards major change in affordable housing. (request by email)
CONTACT/ACCESS: TOM BENDER: www.tombender.org mailto:<tbender@nehalemtel.net> 503-368-6294 |
||
