Cohousing-L Mailing List: Ecovillage at Ithaca Awarded Funds for Affordable Housing: Looking for applicants!

[Laura Beck (laurabeck]

EcoVillage at Ithaca Awarded Federal Funds for Affordable Housing

Ecovillage at Ithaca (EVI) is a co-housing community dedicated to exploring
innovative approaches to ecological and social sustainability.  We're
creating a unique habitat that combines co-housing, organic agriculture,
natural areas, and education and outreach.  EVI has been awarded $112,000
in federal funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLBNY) to
assist six lower income households with building homes EcoVillage?s Second
Neighborhood Group (SoNG).  SoNG, which broke ground in September, includes
homes for singles, partners, families, and retired persons.
.
EVI partnered with Better Housing for Tompkins County (BHTC) and the
Tompkins Trust Company (TTC) to apply for the funds, which will be applied
toward downpayments for new homes in EVI's Second Neighborhood Group
(SoNG). The funds will be used to help six households purchase homes in
SoNG with subsidies of up to $20,000, structured as five year forgiveable
loans.  "We are seeking a diverse group of people!"  says Liz Walker,
Director of EcoVillage.  Applicants must earn 80% or less of median income
for Tompkins County, should have a strong interest in
environmentally-oriented community living, and could only afford to live at
EcoVillage with financial help.  The FHLBNY subsidy is sometimes referred
to as a "shallow" subsidy, since it is really only helpful to those
households which can almost, but not quite, afford financing a home on
their own..

The subsidized homes in SoNG will range in size from 865 square feet (one
to two bedrooms) to 1536 square feet (three to four bedrooms).  All SoNG
homes are being built to take advantage of  passive solar heating, and use
super-insulation to keep energy costs very low.  EcoVillage at Ithaca was
featured on National Public Radio on January 1st, as an example of the
growing cohousing movement around the country.

For more complete information and an application, please contact Laura Beck
at (607) 277-1244 or laurabeck [at] ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us.  Completed
applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis and are due
by August 10th.   For more information about EcoVillage at Ithaca, check
out EVI's webpage at www.ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us.


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