Discussion notes

Notes:

• You need something for the young people to do, to entertain them. I'm serious. We used to have shop parties every week. People would bring instruments and play music.
• Tiny home cul-de-sac. Can several tiny homes live off the same well and septic? Yes I believe so, but there are still minimum lot requirements (1 acre in housing affordability zones) & the size of the septic is limited by the amount of soil at the particular site.
• Tiny/small homes can fill the gap of affordable year-round housing.
• Re:parsonage idea, Yes people would live there if it was the only option available. The question is, is it the only option? And is it the most efficient use of space/money?
• Mother-in-law apt. max size is 600ft. That is a good sized tiny home. (typical tiny homes are less than 400 ft.)
• You can put a temporary tiny house/cabin on your property while building a larger house. It is within the zoning policies for mother-in-law apartments and building a 600ft cabin is a marginal cost if you're already building a house. Several people have done this already on the island. Can it be rented out afterwards to earn extra income?
• Parsonage/duplex: many concerns about close proximity of neighbors.
• In reference to Black Dina house: Shared space and close proximity to town and neighbors could be an asset. Just not sure if the parsonage is the best way to go.
• Can we plant the seed for people to build small caretaker's houses on their properties for year-round rental? A few houses already have these. It is within the existing mother-in-law zoning. How do we make it easy/worthwhile for people to do this?

Comment cards:

"Work w/town of IaH to figure out community-strengthening ways to deal with properties taken for taxes"

"I like the idea of combining self-build with a tiny house"

"Rent to own?"

"Looking into having the church sell the parsonage then giving the money to ICDC would be a great way to fund more housing"

"1 ICDC house cost 300-400k in 2011–new cost would be at least 400k plus 20% or more. That would be 8 tiny houses @ 50-60k each. They could be built cheaper off island. Assembled here."

"Tiny house–400-600 ft is pretty good for 2 people. IaH folks value their privacy and need space. Has all possible land for houses been determined including cost?"