NIVERVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Rural communities have often been left out of the affordable housing conversation— but the Columbia-Greene Habitat for Humanity is trying to change that. They have begun building starter homes designed for average wage workers, and applications are now open for the first model in Niverville.
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“Unfortunately, no one is building starter homes for average wage workers. And that’s really what this program was designed to address,” explained Al Bellenchia, Executive Director of Columbia-Greene Habitat for Humanity.
The home in Niverville is the first one built for the “Rural Starter Home Initiative” program, which targets households that make about 50-80% of the Area Median Income, or roughly $45-85,000 a year. It’s one of four models, all designed for straightforward reconstruction.
Buyers don’t just get a house—they would own the land as well. Instead of market prices, a home buyer would pay based on their income and family size. As Al explained, “We sell them the home at 30% of their income.”
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Al said that the construction from foundation to finish only takes about 120 days. He continued, “We take care of everything from the site development, that’s the excavation, pouring the foundations, and then building the house.”…