Housing Solutions
A look at some innovative housing solutions from around the globe.
Tiny/small homes
Modern Housing With Village Virtues–A perspective on cohousing from the New York Times–what do you think? Could this ever work on an island? What do island communities already practice in terms of cohousing?
You Can't Just Put Homeless People in Tiny Houses–This article shines some light on the pros and cons of using tiny houses to address the housing crisis. It's mostly about cities, but some of the ideas were interesting and relevant to the housing issue here.
Maine projects
Habitat Bangor to build three-unit condo in Old Town–Habitat for Humanity of Greater Bangor is building 3 condo units in Old Town (see below for picture). The units are 2 and 3-bedroom, attached, and are expected to be cost efficient by building 3 units at once.
A forgotten midcoast Maine neighborhood is on the verge of return: Midcoast Habitat for Humanity is building 12 small homes (650-800 sq. ft.) to serve Rockland's workforce population.
The Raise Op Housing Cooperative in Lewiston, ME is a resident-owned co-op consisting of 3 apartment buildings. Residents put in work to ensure that the rents are kept affordable and the properties are in good condition.
Alternative solutions
Nonprofits make rural home ownership more plausible–an article about small Montana towns that are addressing the affordable housing shortage by building energy-efficient homes and encouraging community ownership of land.
Eigg: the answer to Britain's housing crisis?: How a small island off the coast of Scotland manages their community as a land trust
Collective self-build: A concept that is becoming more common in Britain. Groups of families or individuals get together and pool their resources to self-build. Usually in the form of cohousing. How could you apply the same principles of collective building to an on-island solution? Could several families contribute to share the cost of building a road, or share a septic, or well? Could multiple homeowners pool their resources to create
The future's communal: meet the UK's self-build pioneers: Another article about cohousing in Britain.
ADUs (accessory dwelling units) in the Pacific Northwest: The term "ADU" encapsulates mother-in-law apartments, guest houses, caretaker cottages, and any other extra dwelling on the site of a larger house. Though this article is about cities, it sheds some light on how communities can adopt zoning regulations that encourage homeowners to construct ADUs, which provide housing opportunities in tight rental markets.
Construction inspiration
The Shelter Institute, based in Woolwich, offers super-efficient timber frame homes .
Cass Community Tiny Homes in Detroit: Cass Community Social Services is in the process of building 25 different Tiny Homes (250-400sf) in Detroit, MI. Tenants rent the homes and after seven years own them outright. See photo below. Also see https://casscommunity.org/tinyhomes/.
The housing crisis
Cape Cod's housing crisis informs Maine coast: "Currently, there are some 60,000 second homes on the Cape, and research shows 72 percent are vacant most of the year. Among the report’s recommendations is “Rent 365,” a Housing Assistance Corp. initiative to get those owners to rent to a year-round tenant.
The argument is that a year-round tenant will mean less wear-and-tear on the house, and that leases can be drafted to allow the owner to use the property for a two-week vacation while the tenant goes elsewhere. The report recommends offering a tax abatement for landlords who rent their property year-round."
