Grant Funds available for Space-Efficient, Affordable and Workforce Housing
Did you know that the City of Hood River offers grants to support the building of small, affordable homes? We are partnering with the State of Oregon to administer a grant program for space-efficient housing development, called the Low-Embodied Carbon Housing Program (Low-EC Housing Program). With a state-wide goal of producing 36,000 new homes and housing units a year, this program acknowledges the environmental impacts of housing while promoting the production of affordable new homes.
House size is among the most significant determinants of the environmental impact of housing units. A Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) report found the carbon impacts of extra-small homes (1149 square feet in the study) are reduced by 20% to 40% compared to medium-sized homes. Space-efficient housing includes Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, cottage clusters, townhouses, and multifamily units.
The City has received $3.0 million to support the creation of 150 space-efficient housing units, with funding up to $20,000 per unit, with additional funds to assist with administration.
To be eligible for funding, projects must meet certain requirements:
- Build space-efficient housing, defined as an average of 800 square feet per unit
- Ensure that at least 25 percent of new housing units are affordable for individuals earning less than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), with the remaining units affordable for those earning less than 120% of AMI
- Maintain the affordability of units for a minimum of 5 years
- Reduce total embodied carbon of new materials used by 10 percent
If you’d also like to learn more about the Low-EC Housing Program, please visit: oregon.gov/deq/mm/Built%20Environment/Pages/LEChousing.aspx and see Quick Start Roadmap to Success HERE
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