NeighborGood Partners starts construction on four energy-efficient, affordable homes in Dover.
Passive houses are built to reduce energy consumption and save homeowners up to 90 percent on heating and cooling energy compared to traditional homes.
The three-bedroom two-and-a-half bath houses cost about $316 thousand to build. That’s $76 thousand more expensive than a regularly constructed house.
NeighborGood’s executive director Karen Speakman said the plan is to sell the houses for about $275 thousand.
“Part of our mission is to provide affordable housing,” Speakman said. “Right now, there's a housing crisis across this country, and we're averaging $300 to $400,000 in Delaware for houses. And for first-time home buyers or even low to moderate working families, they can't afford those prices in terms of a mortgage.”
Speakman added that becomes even less doable when considering monthly costs. Electric often costs $300 or more per month in Delaware. But because the passive houses are built with features like heat recovery ventilation and insulation, monthly costs are much lower on average.
Speakman also said adding housing makes Dover a better place to live.
“The more you have neighbors that are involved and living there, then it's going to be safer…” Speakman said. “And this is also coordinating with the Downtown Partnership in terms of the economic development that's going on down on Loockerman and hopefully also on Division Street. So it's a holistic approach.”
Speakman said NeighborGood has added more street lights in downtown Dover, hosted neighborhood forums and blocked off neighborhoods for events.
NeighborGood received funding from Energize Delaware, the City of Dover, Delaware State Housing Authority, and Healthy Communities Delaware.
Once the houses are built, NeighborGood will allow families to tour and buy the houses on North Kirkwood Street and Mary Street.
