When Guilford resident Jay Gustafson first heard about the affordable, sustainable homes being built in town, he immediately signed up.
“It was a sister-in-law who saw a posting somewhere that said they were collecting names for an affordable housing project in Guilford,” Gustafson said. “We had just moved from California here, and we said, ‘Oh,’ put our hands up. We got along the list.”
The financing was put in place before the home was built, and Gustafson and his wife were able to move in last July.
The Great Hill Cottage Community homes are all pre-fab, quickly constructed, and operate on well water and septic tanks. Home construction was affordable due to the modular builds, and the homes operate sustainably, using heat pumps for electric heating and cooling.
The homes were created to meet the U.S. Department of Energy’s “Net Zero Energy Ready” program standards. This means the homes can produce as much energy as they consume, extending some savings to homeowners.
Gustafson’s July electric bill was under $120, and his bill in the wintertime was around $220.
Construction began on the homes, built by local nonprofit developer Green Planet Company, in 2021.
“We were incorporated in 2018 and shortly thereafter, this property became available and jumped at the opportunity,” developer Chris Widmer said.
There are seven homes in the neighborhood, on what was previously forest land. A road, Great Hill Commons, had to be constructed and land cleared to establish the community, in which all of the homes sold for less than $280,000, Widmer said.
“Our goal was really to find a way to build affordable housing at a reasonable cost and I had a cost that was comparable to the standard sort of construction method, stick framing, if you will,” Widmer said. “I'd be lying if I didn't say that we wanted to do better, and I think we can do that. I think the costs here were more than we expected.”
Another sustainable, affordable project is in the pipeline for Guilford. The town plans to donate a parcel of land on Saw Mill Road for Green Planet Company’s next project.
“What I want to propose is that we build the six houses and then do six accessory dwelling units, one for each house, that would be also affordable deed restricted rentals,” Widmer said.
But, the lack of infrastructure is a barrier for more housing construction in Guilford, according to First Selectman Matt Hoey.
“That's the challenge with communities like Guilford. In terms of affordable housing, it’s the density issue,” Hoey said. “It's very difficult for us to achieve the kind of numbers that people are looking for, but we're doing what we can, and we're doing bite-sized pieces.”
The town used COVID-19 relief dollars to extend emergency water lines up to the new neighborhood, ensuring fire hydrant access.
Guilford also relaxed septic system regulations to make larger developments more feasible.
“It seems like it's almost impossible for us to make significant progress in any one time. Government is incremental at best, right?” Hoey said. “A little bit here, a little bit here, a little bit there, and we just gonna keep hanging away and do what we can.”
