@@lindaahlgrim1331 There are NO lifts compact enough to go up and down these stairs. All lifts are, generally speaking, just larger than the size of a wheelchair and that DOESN'T include the stuff hidden in the wall, the track system, or any of that. Moreover, those weigh a LOT. Far more than these quick-build houses can support routinely.
@@hotstewglass1155 they have a community of tiny homes in the Detroit area. Built in an area where blight happened. Really nice and great for a starter home for some. Great for seniors.
Without the 'working class', waiters, home and care workers, people at the beginning of their careers, you can't have a thriving town or city. There's a town I was interested in, Cambria California that is mostly retirees. Housing is very expensive and they can't build more because they don't have the water supply. The closest town with young people is too far for college students to drive; it's nearly impossible for the restaurants and the local grocery store to staff the employees they need.
make more 500 to 700 sq ft houses with a smaller half yard and sell it for 85,000 to 150,000 in price would boost a housing market for single to double persons with a no bedroom or single bedroom would be better.
Impressed that they're taking care of their employees first. And then being selective about a mix of other people, ages and work. Well done. Willing to move when have space... ❤
It made me think of 19th-20th century factory owners building small houses for their employees in Europe. Although it's generally a good thing it's also quite confrontational to see society as a whole hasn't really advanced that much in 200 years.
@@Pavic124 Well even if you are right, it doesn't bother me much since e.g. in philosophy, the most impactful pieces of work were written around two thousand years ago. It doesn't mean we are stupider now; it rather means the people were already very developed, at the time. Also, I am not saying we couldn't do better (we surely could!), but there is a significant amount of people who generally love to live in the past, and that pretty much slows the process.
@@-sstevens5444 I agree! I love the fact that they are being selective about who they rent to. If a lot of homeowners and apartments complexes were more selective about tenants, they wouldn't have to deal with the problems they bring like crime, nastiness, and destructive behavior. What I've realized is those types of people will move somewhere tear the place up then once a newly development comes along they apply to that place then continue the same behavior bringing the property value down. Keep the ghetto, trifling people out and move the people who have something to lose in. People who have something to lose appreciate and take care of what they have.
I am surprised by all the negative comments. This couple are providing lovely, affordable homes to people who WANT to live there. They ae trying their best to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. To all those complainers out there, let's see you put your time and money where your mouth is. Yes, they have money but this couple have also worked physically hard to get this project up and running. I suspect they live and breathe their business 24/7 and have always worked hard. I applaud their efforts and wish more employers (and property developers) were like them.
Beautiful. People finding real solutions that work now. When I was young I was a CNA in a nursing home and I loved it. I left the profession because it did not pay enough to make a living. Caring for people is a hard job. To be asked to do it and not be able to house yourself is very disheartening. Good for them for caring about the people and not the profit. I'm a NH resident so it's lovely to see in my state.
They do care about profit. They said they're not making money in the building process, but they will long-term. They're going to be landlords to 44 houses.
Hopefully you will see this; after I retired from a clerical/medical job, I happened to befriend the elderly man who lived next door to my aunt. He was going blind at 98 years old (!) and after a while of getting to know each other, he asked me to move in with him and be his driver, caretaker, whatever needed doing basically. He became my best friend ever and lived another almost 5 years. The money I saved from rent all those years and a bit he left me in his will that came out of the sale of his house after he died meant I could buy a modest house myself free and clear. Anyone thinking about home care work should consider live-in work if they can find compatible clients.
@@jeanlanz2344 With the rent capped at $1000 in perpetuity, that's going to be a real bargain a few years from now and going into the future. It's too bad these aren't for sale, not rent though.
I would put fruit trees into those central common spaces. With that many people I would think, with a couple of pole fruit pickers, the fruit would be harvested and used. I love this project! 💚
Although small trees become big trees and disturb foundations (have spent part of today working on very big 100 year old trees!) and someone has to clear the leaves and there would be less space for the children to play too
People are human and humans often can't get along. I could see some accusing others of taking all the fruit, leaving none for the others. I could also see certain residents causing trouble and interfering with others. How are these communities policed? It's all roses until the weeds start to take over. And at low prices there's going to be a lot of "weeds".
What an amazing couple. What an amazing little community. Please return for a visit in a couple of years. We'd like to see them greened out and planted with trees, and quite frankly, how the residents have taken care of their little neighborhood. It is my hope this video is shared and that more communities will begin their own affordable neighborhoods.
@@aaaaallllld7576 I'd move into one of these in a minute. Housing is sky-high, and if they would rent to me for an affordable price, I would love to be there. And if "Nobody wants to live here," why do they have a waiting list?
@@zoponex3224 I'd rather live in a 44-unit apartment complex. Its footprint would be smaller even if the apartments were twice as big, and I'd experience the luxury of having access to stairs that meet building code. An apartment complex would consume far less energy too, since tiny houses turn every apartment wall into an exterior wall.
@@KindnessInChaos it isnt a realtors fault. They are just part of the flawed system. Its a government issue, they are the only ones with the ability to fix it. No one will use a realtor who undervalues their house(i do agree that price is insanity)
So........ you think the realtor defines the pricing for a market? You think that if they said that they'll sell for $100k all day long that would be the market value? The fact is that the price of labor to build them, the cost of materials, the cost of land (which are all out of control), and the supply and demand all have an impact ...... not so sure about somebody that is paid to sell at market value selling at market value being the problem. Seems like an inane comment that has no value in defining or addressing the problem. It is more the steady decay of our economy since the early 2000's and lack of emphasis to correct this downward spiral that is the problem. As a nation we have focused on rather irrelevant social issues while neglecting the meaningful ones .....
They are not. Realtors sell them for what people are willing to pay. The other reasons are for political in regards to city codes, regulations, and of course government corruption. San Francisco has a building height limit of 80 ft. But you wouldn't believe it by looking at what is allowed to be built there. Then how? You have to grease the palms of the city council and they give you a special permit.
@@HibijibiCraft so now the future is by design, compact energy efficient houses, low birth rates, no driveways, fewer cars, no storage, less consumption, no plastic, staycations....finite resources are the reason, but the public needs to be told other stories
@HibijibiCraft What could the government do to change prices? How could they fix it. My country started to have similar issues. I wonder what's your thoughts are?
These people are awesome. Thanks for their good work. I just built a 800 sq. Ft home by myself and it took 1.5 years while living in my camper van. It is a 2/1. I was 65 woman when I started…it was a great experience. I love this concept of living, it’s ideal if people stay neat and clean…not allowed to junk it up. Love the way she did the bottom plate 2x6, good thinking for that insulation
A bunch of people paying >1050 a month those homes which cost 8k to build. Do the math, 30 years >13k a year, about 40 homes, 400k each, just 5 pay off the materials and land, where does the rest of the money go? They basically own their employees like Blair mountain in the ol mining days.
@@dufung3980 This part, thank you. They are serving their own needs because they need employees to staff their business, how many high dollar rental homes do they own in that area they they are pricing those same people out of?
I liked that last line from the developer as well. I took it as "Just because something was done for hundreds of years or even since WWII doesn't mean we can't be creative and try to work to help people".
I briefly lived in a 2 1/2 bedroom row house in the UK and marveled at how well it worked for families. It had a long garden at the back, with a garage and storeroom. My 2 adult, two toddler family was snug as bugs!
This!!! This is what I have been wanting to see more of in housing. Intentional communities designed with a purpose to house people, not maximize profit for the sake of profit alone. We already have plenty of housing that is out of reach for more than half of Americans, for ownership or for rent. Thank you for using your knowledge to make the world a better place for everyone you touch with your efforts.
They could have a garden shed for each pod that contains shared lawn mower and gardening tools. Thanks Kirsten a wonderful couple helping their community in such a relevant kind manner.beautiful to see.💕🙏
This is almost perfect but then when they said grass, my heart dropped. I wish they could get a permaculture expert to volunteer to do free consulting. Instead of grass they could make better use of that space, like apple trees, plot for tomatoes, etc. Its really unfortunate that Americans waste so much resources on grass when fruit, nuts, berries, roses, so many better uses of land than paying landscaping company and HOA for grass. Ugh.
@@longkesh1971 These people only care about profit. All developers in the US are like that, these people are only doing this so they can have employees present to staff their other businesses. Research Blair Mountain and the labor struggles there and you will see why this is a HORRIBLE IDEA.
@@WillowEtain wow that’s an amazingly negative view. I’d argue that this is a win-win situation to house people equitably and economically either can be close to their place of employment and live well!
Finally, a progressive and approved village. Kudos to you two and to Dover, NH for responding to real need. Awards should be given for a decent and respectful solution to today's housing shortage. Can I move in?
There are hundreds of thousands of vacant homes and apartments in this country. The problem is not a lack of housing, the problem is a lack of will to regulate the way a few investors in this country have taken ownership of an investment sector that harms American families, homes and apartments. We, the government and private industry, have a moral duty to give families back the power to buy homes at affordable prices. This is not a debatable issue, it is a moral duty to society. We can and must do better.
There is a model in place in Canada. The government owns some of the apartment buildings and they operate at cost, keeping the rent low. This puts pressure on the private sector to have competitive pricing. I wish we did that as well.
You gave a home to 13 families for Xmas? 😭😭 What you're doing for your employees and community is wonderful and you're to be congratulated for your compassion and empathy.
I just want to say THANK YOU to this couple! I have prayed for people like you to step up and bless others! You are breaking even.... And saving hundreds from living a paycheck to paycheck stressed out daily, barely eeking out a living, no hope life! And may God bless you for it! I hope more will do the same! ❤
This project has a LOT of attention to detail in order to keep the costs down yet the houses comfortable and livable. I would have liked to see one or two “communal” buildings for residents to use as gathering spaces/ kid events / communal storage of things like gardening tools that everyone might share seasonally. This model can work for so many places all across this nation to give young people a place to start and elders a nice place in which to retire. Kirsten, I hope you go back in a year and see how it looks with gardens, trees, etc. Thanks for making this video! An inspiration for many New England communities where housing is too expensive and /or simply unavailable. ❤
The problem with communal areas is who cares for them. Was wondering if they have a permanent gardener? Was there specific do's and don't[s] in the rental agreement... like outdoor stuff..
you realize that's an oxymoron right?? Greed is the entire reason they built them. They only did it to staff their other businesses. If they paid their employees fairly they could afford to live in the same town they work in without resorting to living in a shed owned and controlled by their employer. These people should be able to afford to buy their own damn homes.
It never should have been made illegal in the first place. Zoning was a huge mistake aside from keeping industrial separate. The damage zoning has caused is immeasurable.
It is far from ideal for elderly or disabled people. There are stairs to get into the house. The shower doesn't have handrails and is too narrow for a chair. A person needing a walker or other assistive device could not get through many of the doorways. Part of the house's square footage is a loft that can only be reached by narrow stairs.
@@PeaceTrainJump there is other ways to adapt it for handicapped accessibility. Including fold down stairs that are wider and quite sturdy. I’d like the idea for elder and disabled housing in a village formation. Small independent spaces with walk ways and a central gathering space. I dream of such a place existing in my part of the US.
Are you high? Or do you just not know American history. Go study the labor struggles and the battle of Blair Mountain. There is NOTHING progressing about this.
Beside helping ppl to get a home… I like how the company rep said « how can we ask our employees to be good to our costumers if we’re not nice to them. » I wish the come I sell my time too would hear this and treat their employees better/ nice.
You should probably get a bit more information about what the company pays their workers and what the company charges in rent before assuming anything about "nice."
Incredible program! I have so much admiration for the husband/wife contractor/architect team who care enough about others to invest such time and talent in them. Bravo!
A lot of people have to be willing to live with less in order to have this work. And, we need 10 million more of these units. Thank you Maggie and John Randolph for showing us this can be done.
For tiny homes, it feels like a decent amount of space. The problem isn't that these places are tiny, but the fact that American homes, generally, have swelled to enormous sizes. Those 9 McMansions that would have gone in that space would probably be between 2500 and 3500 sq ft. The average American home in the 1920s was about 1000 sq ft, with usually more children and less efficiency in terms of space and energy. I know people with 3000sq ft houses that still need to fill a garage and rent a storage unit. We got too much crap.
While these tiny homes may not be for everyone, this couple was willing to address the huge need happening in their community and with their employees. I certainly applaud their efforts and dedication to addressing these needs head on! Not only did they figure out how to keep employees but they actually care about their employees! This is how communities should work rather than seeking “help” from the government (which rarely ends up being “help” in the long run) There are caveats in living in these small spaces (stairways for one, no garages for your car or extra storage) but these times call for more creativity and affordability. “Necessity is the mother of invention” fits beautifully here!!
Government is the community. Stop electing people running on "government doesn't work" because those people are incentivized to sabotage government. They can then go "look government doesn't work" and keep winning.... because they're corrupt. Stop electing people who tell you that "government is the bad guy"... why are they running then?
@@mossyoakmom8880 What's wrong with making money? Not everyone believes in Communism or Socialism. And, you obviously know nothing about slave labor. Please read a bit, get informed and then develop your argument.
I’m impressed with the architects design considerations balancing function and cost. Those must have been painful decisions but to accomplish the goal of affordability you have to give and take. I’d like to see more videos on affordable living and especially pocket neighborhoods.
I am 60 live in Ga with my 68 yr old cousin she was a RN for 35 yrs and she got glaucoma and unfortunately now she is legally blind and has had 4 cornea transplants. I worked 26 yrs full time and from lifting so much weight on my job at hospital I hurt my back we have been looking for something like this the rent is horrible everywhere. I sure wish you guys would look into buying something in the Appalachian mountains up around north ga I can assure you guys would never go wrong building more of these. God please send us something like this!! You guys are amazing. I live like 30 mins from Former President Carter and I remember him and his wife always working with habitat for humanity here in Ga. They help build many homes in Americus Ga. So glad I found y’all’s channel. God Bless you guys.
This is such a wonderful design, it would be wonderful to have an affordable area for seniors that could have their own homes but affordable. I have many friends that would love this concept even if just on 1 level and a storage loft. An area for small community gardens and even a nice laundry facility in the community. But that they could look out for each other and VISIT instead of isolation as seniors age, TY for what you did for affordable housing for many.
Watching from Europe, I wonder how much privacy they have if any at all. There's not a single solid wall on those houses! Just try playing music there if nothing else..... My son rents 2 bedrooms aptm for 1000 €, in Vienna (Austria) and Vienna has been named the world's most liveable city for the third year running! (Categories - stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure).
Beautiful couple! LOVE THEIR MINDSET and AMBITION. LOVE LOVE LOVE please MORE OF THIS all over the GLOBE!!! Greetings from Switzerland, where I hope, that we will also be allowing these kind of housings!!!
Walking through my Seattle neighborhood full of new-built huge houses, I marvel at the square footage and wonder how many people live there. You never see anyone, there are no children playing outside. The new houses are listed at well over $1 million. I grew up in a family with five children in a normal-sized ranch style house in the 1960s. I like the more sensible approach of putting smaller homes on land. Good design, consideration for privacy issues, a neighborhood feel. Admirable couple. I own a 700 sq. ft. condo and would be delighted to trade it for a roomy tiny house like these, with a little outside space.
Suburban “luxury” been deteriorating a lot of peoples mental health m fully realizing it. Many genuinely like those enormous homes tho and do get outside some at home or elsewhere
@Jazna1 to answer the question..where's the people the children.... parents are working many hours to afford home, children are in daycare because parents are at work . Sad what has happened to family time . From a kid ( me ) didn't have much but at the same time had so much.... as in family fun simple living is valuable so very valuable.
Very impressed with the quality and design that go into this build. Tiny houses aren't an answer for everything, but they're a great opportunity for tiny families.
No retirees should be moving into these homes, but why would they when the cost is the same as staying in their 5 bedroom home on half an acre with a swimming pool. Meanwhile kids growing up in places like this will never know the joy of their own tree swing or even a slip n slide, I'm sure pets aren't allowed at these places either. It's just ridiculous
@@stitches318 esp because they didn't explain exactly why they sent an email saying to keep the bathroom fan on at all times. Mold problems already? Substandard building products off-gassing? hmmm.
@@aaaaallllld7576 we just built a house and used several of the materials noted, all are high quality and I recognize the brands. Tight & energy efficient homes *require* an air exchanger - our house has one too - because *not using one actually creates the mold*. Rewatch the video, this is explained by the husband and wife team. In this house, as explained, the bathroom fan is the air exchanger.
When my husband and I were first married we rented a condo of 900 square feet @ $400 a month (1989). It was a 2 bedroom 1 bath place on the ground level with a small patio. This was a very reasonable size and more home builders need to build a percentage of these type of places.
Thank you to this couple❣️ And, with the affordability, the people that live there also have a stable financial situation ... which means they can save, have a hopeful future for their children. They can dream. It's so much more than a tiny home.🥰
What a fantastic program! More states need to adopt this type of thinking to help with the housing industry. Cost for housing has gone through the roof, renting or purchasing.
Pretty clever idea. Build housing for employees, collect rents, and build equity instead of paying higher wages that can pay for housing in the area. Only thing missing is the company store.
This video is saved in my favourites so I can go back and find it to develop a similar kind of village in a country I love because my wife is from there and many people and families need homes there. This could be a perfect answer for that. Thanks Kirsten! Matt -Toronto, Canada
9 Families or 44. That's good land use in effect. I love what they did around sizing, window placements, etc...that when done 44 times over, yield upside...but I do agree with the architect that 9 windows would have been better. I have 11 in my off-grid cabin that is nearly identical in size.
This!!! I was just telling my husband and senior mother how I thought something like this would be great for seniors to "age in place". The homes would instead be made to work for seniors with/without disabilities. Wider doors, large doorways, etc. The other part to that was to create a small area for traveling nurses that could stay for a huge discount or even free in return for on-site nursing to be available to the residents if needed. I wish I could do this.
While it seems like a great idea, I'm suddenly reminded of the old company towns, where the company owned your house. So... what happens if you choose to change jobs...
@scientifico - if you change jobs, then I guess you'll lose the company discount for rent & have to pay full price. They have renters who aren't their employees.
The company didn’t just own the homes. They owned the grocery stores and dry goods stores, basically every business. That was how they got you with cost of groceries and dry goods. So just the home could put pressure but still a great benefit.
I mean, solution seems simple to me - grandfather the past employee into a slightly-less-discounted rent indefinitely once they change jobs. There's no reason to hit them with a higher rent than they're used to, and no reason to kick them out.
“What are those people going to be like,” this is a legitimate concern for people when they hear the term affordable housing. I’m so glad this topic was addressed. It’s a real issue, it comes from a real place; but to mention that the people coming into the community are hard working people. They are people that the community actually depend on, firefighters, teachers etc, was beautifully done to mention that.
As a designer I am really impressed by this couple and how much attention to detail on both design and build cost they have done! Excellent!! Now if you want to hire me to start doing these on the west coast, let me know!
Impressive & very well-thought of project! Tiny homes but decent. Hats off to this couple who put their knowledge & skills to good use. I love their genuine compassion to their employees & other residents who deserve it, to create a secure neighborhood & foster a sense of community. This is the type of project that our government should be supporting & doing to address the lack of affordable housing. Keep it up guys! ❤
thank you for posting this story!!1. i woke up this morning and it's the first video I saw! it's so nice to wake up something positive and people actually helping one another instead of what we usually get!!! so thank you thank you thanks you!!!
I loved this tour. So many great ideas. Everyone who lives there is grateful. I wonder if cats or dogs are allowed. Is it possible to have 44 pets on the property? That would be interesting, especially if everyone had a Golden Retriever. Also, put in a pet daycare and have an art center, a party room, and an outdoor entertainment yard for outdoor fire pits and kitchen.
Thank you for sharing this hopeful community and this inspirational team. Please revisit this community in a few years when all the units are built and the community have planted their trees, flowers, and communal green spaces.
This is absolutely fantastic, I'm physically disabled and have my mentally challenged brother who lives with me and my spouse/caretaker. We live in Massachusetts but it's getting extremely difficult financially to keep living in our house. Would be blessed to be able to live in something like these beautiful places.
This is a really cool concept and I'd like for this to catch on, McMansions just waste so much space... One thing I would have done different, I would have used concrete bricks (like the Dutch do on their streets) instead of asphalt for the walkways between the houses. Those bricks are permeable to rainwater, reusable and easier to remove/replace in case of having to dig holes for repairing utilities.
This is great. The leases aren't exclusive to workers so if you decide to change jobs you're not instantly homeless like some companies with housing benefits. It is a pretty steep discount though. Also this a perfect "starter" home. And would even be great for seniors aside from the stairs. Love pocket neighborhoods. Great example of single family home density. Also HUGE props to having sprinker systems. They're often left out of single family homes to save cost. I mean these are rentals so it makes more sense from that lense.
I love these people so much. Great job Maggie and John! Love these thoughtful, efficient house designs. And thank you, both, for the detailed tour. I nerd out on those construction details and design choices. Would love to know what fans were used in the bathroom for the house ventilation. It's such a great idea. Also, John was right in limiting the windows. I think wall space is just as important as outdoor light, when designing for small spaces. And finally, Maggie and John said they were part of the construction team. Clearly, their Golden Retriever was, too! Love that pup! Thank you, Kirsten and family, for another inspiring tour! ♥
This is a fantastic idea, I love that you left space between them. This would be a great idea for seniors if you could figure out how to get the bedroom on the main floor. I worry about the seniors who rent on social security.
In the last drone shot, notice that no windows are at headlight level and facing the parking. They really did take the time to think about a lot of edgecases that can make a place unpleasant to live in
Yea. the driveway and parking lot is treated like the back of house. Like it's supposed to! You can have that small communal yard that is pedestrian, with kids playing in it, fronting the house.
The world could take lessons from you both. Thank you to real humans and who are compassionate 💕 This is truly amazing! Both of you should run for office😊
We need this scale of development all over, but the ownership model needs to figure out how to allow people to buy the homes for themselves, not rely on a benevolent employer holding the ownership and tying rent breaks (or even rental ability) to employment with that company. The couple in the video seem like good people, but if you're renting there and you get into an employment dispute, what happens? When your job literally owns the roof over your head, there's an even bigger imbalance of power between employer and employee...
I love this for Dover. That area of NH is super expensive and I hope we see more of this especially up in Jackson and North Conway! Also, the choice on the insulation to remove thermal bridging combined with a taped zip system and the spray foam is crazy efficient in both energy savings and cost. NH should adopt this model across the state.
Maggie and John are absolutely amazing. They both have such insight and drive to make a project like this work. A couple that have complementary skills and knowledge about how to plan window sizes to fit between studs and fans to draw air for proper circulation and double down on the insulation. Wow! I wonder how their employees like working for them. Much respect for you two, for giving back.
Love this! More like this in more places, please! Imagine buying a farmhouse with a few acres and being able to build a tiny house village. They did great with the planning, engineering & speed. A great stopgap in lieu of public housing & condo towers. Bravo to the owners for figuring this out. For doing the right thing. I think the complaint from urbanists is "we know apartment buildings, duplexes and so on get heating & cooling efficiency with common walls" and I get that. Those are systemic issues which States & Feds alike refuse to deal with. This type of project has support in the existing building code. A group can go to their township and get them to approve "addendum Q" and do this? Powerful.
I can imagine that the employees are excellent workers who appreciate their jobs and the benefits associated with them. A special project by special people and a great win/win for all.
A community like this is what I've always wanted to do for the homeless with animals they can care for and gardens to grow their own food. Life changes when stability and a purpose to live is given. One day...❤
This is so cool. I'm a senior and scared for lot of oldies and single moms, who can't even afford rent. Instead of making them homeless, the gov't should be donating land to these neighborhoods. Home pride is huge for us too.
This is inspiring the homes are rental but that helps keep the cost to live in them down. The first house they showed had a 1,050 a month rent. The last renter they did not mention her rent but she did mention her previous rental was 2,400 in an older house that was not well maintained. The 44 homes they said will cost 6 million to build with the land grading retention and retaining walls included in addition to the actual house . So each home is 140k to build then and with just over a 1k in rent per month it will take around 11 years to pay of the houses for the builder by renting not considering any repairs to the houses in those eleven years or any interest on money borrowed to build. I commend the them for doing this as they have over a decade to break even from renting out the houses.
The 1050 rent was for an employee with a discount. It is a strategy to keep employees close to work and reliable while providing the employee with housing security. It is a win-win and I wish more employers would consider this.
@@krl970listening again, I heard the rent was $1050 but she gets an employee discount so hers is lower. Perhaps I misinterpreted the sentence. Minimum wage in New Hampshire is $7.25. So if she makes $8, her yearly wages are $16,640, not enough for a $1,050 rental rate. Interest on the loan (probably thru HUD), property taxes, insurance will make this break even. They must keep rents low in perpetuity. If they can get tax breaks maybe a small profit, otherwise the payoff is in 30 years. If these units qualify for section 8, that could be her discount, qualifying would be iffy.
@@kenyonbissett3512 yeah, maybe I misunderstood. I do think this project is a win for the employer even with a rent subsidy/discount, it is very difficult to run care facilities because of staffing issues - it does not pay well and the pandemic really decimated the field.
I think this is an awesome solution, especially for young couples, small families, or single people; but it would work for retirees too. Ya, the stairs are a must have, but I think I'd like to see a slat type wall between the living room & stairway (~14:00). It would still give you a supporting wall (if that's even needed) and a wall to put stuff up against, but it would make the stairway feel less claustrophobic and more open. Great job👍!
Those are cute little houses and it's great that the employees get opportunities to rent brand new units for a discount. Having said that, I love the whole "you can't build affordable homes for profit" before they begin to speak a length that how profitable this venture really is. The simple fact is these little houses aren't really that affordable, they're just small.
Brilliant... they need to do that for the Elderly and our Veterans.
Elderly could not handle those very steep, very narrow stairs. Speaking from experience.
@@judybethclark9431 But there are lifts they can sit on to carry them up & down the stairs.
But it doesn’t make my land appreciate in value quickly, so nah
@@lindaahlgrim1331 There are NO lifts compact enough to go up and down these stairs. All lifts are, generally speaking, just larger than the size of a wheelchair and that DOESN'T include the stuff hidden in the wall, the track system, or any of that. Moreover, those weigh a LOT. Far more than these quick-build houses can support routinely.
@@lindaahlgrim1331 The way they designed it, lifts wouldn't fit a structure like that.
Why aren’t we doing this all over the USA? So admirable to think of your employees.
And in Canada!!
@@hotstewglass1155 they have a community of tiny homes in the Detroit area. Built in an area where blight happened. Really nice and great for a starter home for some. Great for seniors.
Without the 'working class', waiters, home and care workers, people at the beginning of their careers, you can't have a thriving town or city. There's a town I was interested in, Cambria California that is mostly retirees. Housing is very expensive and they can't build more because they don't have the water supply. The closest town with young people is too far for college students to drive; it's nearly impossible for the restaurants and the local grocery store to staff the employees they need.
Zoning, nimby & hoas, private investment firms & profitability, land restrictions based on disaster sites, protected land, etc.
make more 500 to 700 sq ft houses with a smaller half yard and sell it for 85,000 to 150,000 in price would boost a housing market for single to double persons with a no bedroom or single bedroom would be better.
Impressed that they're taking care of their employees first. And then being selective about a mix of other people, ages and work.
Well done. Willing to move when have space... ❤
In my state, landlords aren't allowed to choose tenants based on job type, so that might not even be legal.
@@aaaaallllld7576 That would depend on what you consider the definition of legal is .
It made me think of 19th-20th century factory owners building small houses for their employees in Europe. Although it's generally a good thing it's also quite confrontational to see society as a whole hasn't really advanced that much in 200 years.
@@Pavic124 Well even if you are right, it doesn't bother me much since e.g. in philosophy, the most impactful pieces of work were written around two thousand years ago. It doesn't mean we are stupider now; it rather means the people were already very developed, at the time.
Also, I am not saying we couldn't do better (we surely could!), but there is a significant amount of people who generally love to live in the past, and that pretty much slows the process.
@@-sstevens5444 I agree! I love the fact that they are being selective about who they rent to. If a lot of homeowners and apartments complexes were more selective about tenants, they wouldn't have to deal with the problems they bring like crime, nastiness, and destructive behavior. What I've realized is those types of people will move somewhere tear the place up then once a newly development comes along they apply to that place then continue the same behavior bringing the property value down. Keep the ghetto, trifling people out and move the people who have something to lose in. People who have something to lose appreciate and take care of what they have.
I love the care the employers show their staff. Ingenuity at its finest! ❤
I am surprised by all the negative comments. This couple are providing lovely, affordable homes to people who WANT to live there. They ae trying their best to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. To all those complainers out there, let's see you put your time and money where your mouth is. Yes, they have money but this couple have also worked physically hard to get this project up and running. I suspect they live and breathe their business 24/7 and have always worked hard. I applaud their efforts and wish more employers (and property developers) were like them.
People will always find away to be negative. They are miserable people who aren’t happy with themselves.
The negative comments are mainly from people clueless about economics.
Increased housing density makes small businesses in the area more viable.
Yeah but small homes =/= affordable homes.
@@zacharyhenderson2902 In comparison to the options locally? Probably.
@@christinacody8653 not necessarily. A brand new stick build home 3x the size in that state would average around $360k minus the lot.
Respect and admiration for this talented, driven couple!
Beautiful. People finding real solutions that work now. When I was young I was a CNA in a nursing home and I loved it. I left the profession because it did not pay enough to make a living. Caring for people is a hard job. To be asked to do it and not be able to house yourself is very disheartening. Good for them for caring about the people and not the profit. I'm a NH resident so it's lovely to see in my state.
They do care about profit. They said they're not making money in the building process, but they will long-term. They're going to be landlords to 44 houses.
A condominium complex would have made much more sense imo
Hopefully you will see this; after I retired from a clerical/medical job, I happened to befriend the elderly man who lived next door to my aunt. He was going blind at 98 years old (!) and after a while of getting to know each other, he asked me to move in with him and be his driver, caretaker, whatever needed doing basically. He became my best friend ever and lived another almost 5 years. The money I saved from rent all those years and a bit he left me in his will that came out of the sale of his house after he died meant I could buy a modest house myself free and clear. Anyone thinking about home care work should consider live-in work if they can find compatible clients.
@@jeanlanz2344 With the rent capped at $1000 in perpetuity, that's going to be a real bargain a few years from now and going into the future. It's too bad these aren't for sale, not rent though.
@@chocolatebunny5465 but an apartment was not allowed by zoning rules.
I would put fruit trees into those central common spaces. With that many people I would think, with a couple of pole fruit pickers, the fruit would be harvested and used. I love this project! 💚
A community garden would be ideal, too.
@@susanpage8315 Exactly what I was thinking!
That's a fantastic idea!
Although small trees become big trees and disturb foundations (have spent part of today working on very big 100 year old trees!) and someone has to clear the leaves and there would be less space for the children to play too
People are human and humans often can't get along. I could see some accusing others of taking all the fruit, leaving none for the others. I could also see certain residents causing trouble and interfering with others. How are these communities policed? It's all roses until the weeds start to take over. And at low prices there's going to be a lot of "weeds".
This took a lot of math. Smart thinking to eliminate waste. Awesome 😎
It is absolutely brilliant!
If only all people would think of ways to help others while also protecting the environment. This makes me so happy!
What an amazing couple. What an amazing little community. Please return for a visit in a couple of years. We'd like to see them greened out and planted with trees, and quite frankly, how the residents have taken care of their little neighborhood. It is my hope this video is shared and that more communities will begin their own affordable neighborhoods.
NOOOOOOooooooooooooo no no no. Nobody wants to live here. Nobody likes these "neighborhoods" except for the people profiting off them.
@@aaaaallllld7576 What do you have this on? Seems a damn site better than some big apartment complex.
@@aaaaallllld7576 I'd move into one of these in a minute. Housing is sky-high, and if they would rent to me for an affordable price, I would love to be there. And if "Nobody wants to live here," why do they have a waiting list?
I would love to see it in a few years with trees and flowers planted!
@@zoponex3224 I'd rather live in a 44-unit apartment complex. Its footprint would be smaller even if the apartments were twice as big, and I'd experience the luxury of having access to stairs that meet building code. An apartment complex would consume far less energy too, since tiny houses turn every apartment wall into an exterior wall.
The realtor that said you could sell these for $290k all day long??!! They are the reason (among many other things) why there’s a housing crisis!
@@KindnessInChaos it isnt a realtors fault. They are just part of the flawed system. Its a government issue, they are the only ones with the ability to fix it.
No one will use a realtor who undervalues their house(i do agree that price is insanity)
So........ you think the realtor defines the pricing for a market? You think that if they said that they'll sell for $100k all day long that would be the market value? The fact is that the price of labor to build them, the cost of materials, the cost of land (which are all out of control), and the supply and demand all have an impact ...... not so sure about somebody that is paid to sell at market value selling at market value being the problem. Seems like an inane comment that has no value in defining or addressing the problem. It is more the steady decay of our economy since the early 2000's and lack of emphasis to correct this downward spiral that is the problem. As a nation we have focused on rather irrelevant social issues while neglecting the meaningful ones .....
They are not. Realtors sell them for what people are willing to pay. The other reasons are for political in regards to city codes, regulations, and of course government corruption. San Francisco has a building height limit of 80 ft. But you wouldn't believe it by looking at what is allowed to be built there. Then how? You have to grease the palms of the city council and they give you a special permit.
@@HibijibiCraft so now the future is by design, compact energy efficient houses, low birth rates, no driveways, fewer cars, no storage, less consumption, no plastic, staycations....finite resources are the reason, but the public needs to be told other stories
@HibijibiCraft What could the government do to change prices? How could they fix it. My country started to have similar issues. I wonder what's your thoughts are?
He said it best. "Redo zoning to fit the need of today" Amen!
These people are awesome. Thanks for their good work. I just built a 800 sq. Ft home by myself and it took 1.5 years while living in my camper van. It is a 2/1. I was 65 woman when I started…it was a great experience. I love this concept of living, it’s ideal if people stay neat and clean…not allowed to junk it up. Love the way she did the bottom plate 2x6, good thinking for that insulation
That in particular impressed me.
The Randolphs should run HUD. Proud of you. Greed is NOT good.💙🏡
that would be great
YES. I waited 2 years to end up in an apartment with a hyper-crazed manager. UGH.
I would LOVE a place like this.
Admirable.
the government isn’t involved that’s why it’s great!
@@EmDe69 A persons housing shouldn’t be tied to their employer, EVER. Google Battle of Blair Mountain
I very seldom ever comment on any video. This story made me cry. These people are so altruistic. They've given me hope in humanity.
A bunch of people paying >1050 a month those homes which cost 8k to build.
Do the math, 30 years >13k a year, about 40 homes, 400k each, just 5 pay off the materials and land, where does the rest of the money go? They basically own their employees like Blair mountain in the ol mining days.
@@dufung3980 This part, thank you. They are serving their own needs because they need employees to staff their business, how many high dollar rental homes do they own in that area they they are pricing those same people out of?
@@WillowEtain how many affordable homes have you built?
@@dufung3980 They didn't cost $8k to build. What planet are you living on?
A condominium neighborhood would have made more sense, looked nicer, probably could have been bigger, and yeah..
Moses didn't bring zoning down the mountain on a tablet.. 😂 love it
I liked that last line from the developer as well. I took it as "Just because something was done for hundreds of years or even since WWII doesn't mean we can't be creative and try to work to help people".
@@tailgatecarpenter26 its because density only works for the wealthy.
Loved it too❤
I briefly lived in a 2 1/2 bedroom row house in the UK and marveled at how well it worked for families. It had a long garden at the back, with a garage and storeroom. My 2 adult, two toddler family was snug as bugs!
@@user-zm3ny8tw4x I've been about the tiny movement since I was little, I used to build my barbies camper vans in my brothers, tonka trucks
This!!! This is what I have been wanting to see more of in housing. Intentional communities designed with a purpose to house people, not maximize profit for the sake of profit alone. We already have plenty of housing that is out of reach for more than half of Americans, for ownership or for rent.
Thank you for using your knowledge to make the world a better place for everyone you touch with your efforts.
Those 2 individuals Are probably the best humanitarian I've ever run across
This is the positive result when govt leaders and businesses work together for the benefit of their community. Kudos to all involved!!!
However, it is sad that most people will never be able to afford more comfortable homes. Meanwhile, the rich are getting much richer.
@@ganymeade5151nothing about this community looks uncomfortable to me. Just looks like being able to retire ten years sooner
You couldn't pay me to live in one of those tiny little houses.
That looks like a camping trip.
@@jamisojogood, it leaves it for someone that will appreciate it👍
They could have a garden shed for each pod that contains shared lawn mower and gardening tools. Thanks Kirsten a wonderful couple helping their community in such a relevant kind manner.beautiful to see.💕🙏
Then who will they sell their storage units built next to the units? Thieve the equity, thieve the dreams of ownership.
This is almost perfect but then when they said grass, my heart dropped. I wish they could get a permaculture expert to volunteer to do free consulting. Instead of grass they could make better use of that space, like apple trees, plot for tomatoes, etc. Its really unfortunate that Americans waste so much resources on grass when fruit, nuts, berries, roses, so many better uses of land than paying landscaping company and HOA for grass. Ugh.
@@longkesh1971 These people only care about profit. All developers in the US are like that, these people are only doing this so they can have employees present to staff their other businesses. Research Blair Mountain and the labor struggles there and you will see why this is a HORRIBLE IDEA.
@WillowEtain Not every employer is a predator. It seems these folks are up front about their plans and are being fair.
@@WillowEtain wow that’s an amazingly negative view. I’d argue that this is a win-win situation to house people equitably and economically either can be close to their place of employment and live well!
Finally, a progressive and approved village. Kudos to you two and to Dover, NH for responding to real need. Awards should be given for a decent and respectful solution to today's housing shortage. Can I move in?
There are hundreds of thousands of vacant homes and apartments in this country. The problem is not a lack of housing, the problem is a lack of will to regulate the way a few investors in this country have taken ownership of an investment sector that harms American families, homes and apartments. We, the government and private industry, have a moral duty to give families back the power to buy homes at affordable prices. This is not a debatable issue, it is a moral duty to society. We can and must do better.
There is a model in place in Canada. The government owns some of the apartment buildings and they operate at cost, keeping the rent low. This puts pressure on the private sector to have competitive pricing. I wish we did that as well.
YES well articulated than you Channel
👍 Amen and bravo! 👍
Correction the moral thing to do is to give everything back to the Native Americans!
Exactly. Private equity firms should NOT be allowed to buy up housing
You gave a home to 13 families for Xmas? 😭😭 What you're doing for your employees and community is wonderful and you're to be congratulated for your compassion and empathy.
I just want to say THANK YOU to this couple! I have prayed for people like you to step up and bless others! You are breaking even.... And saving hundreds from living a paycheck to paycheck stressed out daily, barely eeking out a living, no hope life! And may God bless you for it! I hope more will do the same! ❤
This project has a LOT of attention to detail in order to keep the costs down yet the houses comfortable and livable. I would have liked to see one or two “communal” buildings for residents to use as gathering spaces/ kid events / communal storage of things like gardening tools that everyone might share seasonally. This model can work for so many places all across this nation to give young people a place to start and elders a nice place in which to retire. Kirsten, I hope you go back in a year and see how it looks with gardens, trees, etc. Thanks for making this video! An inspiration for many New England communities where housing is too expensive and /or simply unavailable. ❤
All great ideas.
The problem with communal areas is who cares for them. Was wondering if they have a permanent gardener? Was there specific do's and don't[s] in the rental agreement... like outdoor stuff..
I agree, love to see how they and their residents are doing in 1-2 yrs.
I was thinking that they need a space for a playground / park / gathering area.
@@Cassie00111 since their are children who need to run off energy, that would be a good idea.
Bravo! I am a hybrid, modular builder and I want to do whatever I can to bring well built, affordable housing to as many as possible.
@@makidominguez5856 Where do you build these modular homes?
Hope you are able to achieve that.
Knowing where the building codes allow it, and how to navigate those codes, will go the longest way towards making it possible for more of us!
Would like to see an actual list of housing communities like this state by state in the future and not just builders who can build them
hybrid what??? there is NO such thing as a so called 'hybrid modular' if thats what your referring to...
These should be legal everywhere in the U.S.
It's a shame that greed rules the country.
you realize that's an oxymoron right?? Greed is the entire reason they built them. They only did it to staff their other businesses. If they paid their employees fairly they could afford to live in the same town they work in without resorting to living in a shed owned and controlled by their employer. These people should be able to afford to buy their own damn homes.
@@WillowEtain I believe there are gray areas.
It never should have been made illegal in the first place. Zoning was a huge mistake aside from keeping industrial separate. The damage zoning has caused is immeasurable.
@@WillowEtain
what about the people that _dont_ want to spend 500k on a house?
Forced to buy more than we need, want, or can afford.
What a fabulous concept! Bravo! Both the US and Canada needs more communities like this.
Im a disabled elder! This would be ideal for a village style elder housing! I’d live there in a heartbeat!
It is far from ideal for elderly or disabled people. There are stairs to get into the house. The shower doesn't have handrails and is too narrow for a chair. A person needing a walker or other assistive device could not get through many of the doorways. Part of the house's square footage is a loft that can only be reached by narrow stairs.
@@PeaceTrainJump Yes those stairs in the video looked extremely narrow for that matter. Its not handicapped accessible either.
@@PeaceTrainJump there is other ways to adapt it for handicapped accessibility. Including fold down stairs that are wider and quite sturdy. I’d like the idea for elder and disabled housing in a village formation. Small independent spaces with walk ways and a central gathering space. I dream of such a place existing in my part of the US.
@@bethgoldman2560 Yes, that would be great. This design isn't it.
@@bethgoldman2560 the dream is still worth repeating, thank you for your wisdom and vision
Good for this Township that they're progressive enough to work with them.
Thanks for sharing this story. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🌺
Building shoddy worker housing on a watershed/ floodplain is not progressive. This is some right-wing shit.
True meaning of progressive
Are you high? Or do you just not know American history. Go study the labor struggles and the battle of Blair Mountain. There is NOTHING progressing about this.
@@Ironrodpower You don't understand what your are saying. There is noting progressive about this.
Thanks, this is the best project you have shown in many months. Simple affordable homes for working people.
Beside helping ppl to get a home… I like how the company rep said « how can we ask our employees to be good to our costumers if we’re not nice to them. » I wish the come I sell my time too would hear this and treat their employees better/ nice.
You should probably get a bit more information about what the company pays their workers and what the company charges in rent before assuming anything about "nice."
@@aaaaallllld7576 bring the data if you have it. And the standard cost of living in the area so we can compare
@@aaaaallllld7576 Yes, that seems a lot to charge monthly for such a small space.
What?
@@aaaaallllld7576 Why not watch the video? They tell you both of those things.
Incredible program! I have so much admiration for the husband/wife contractor/architect team who care enough about others to invest such time and talent in them. Bravo!
A lot of people have to be willing to live with less in order to have this work. And, we need 10 million more of these units. Thank you Maggie and John Randolph for showing us this can be done.
For tiny homes, it feels like a decent amount of space. The problem isn't that these places are tiny, but the fact that American homes, generally, have swelled to enormous sizes. Those 9 McMansions that would have gone in that space would probably be between 2500 and 3500 sq ft. The average American home in the 1920s was about 1000 sq ft, with usually more children and less efficiency in terms of space and energy. I know people with 3000sq ft houses that still need to fill a garage and rent a storage unit. We got too much crap.
@@HiGregLester Your last sentence....perfect.
While these tiny homes may not be for everyone, this couple was willing to address the huge need happening in their community and with their employees. I certainly applaud their efforts and dedication to addressing these needs head on! Not only did they figure out how to keep employees but they actually care about their employees!
This is how communities should work rather than seeking “help” from the government (which rarely ends up being “help” in the long run)
There are caveats in living in these small spaces (stairways for one, no garages for your car or extra storage) but these times call for more creativity and affordability.
“Necessity is the mother of invention” fits beautifully here!!
Government is the community. Stop electing people running on "government doesn't work" because those people are incentivized to sabotage government. They can then go "look government doesn't work" and keep winning.... because they're corrupt. Stop electing people who tell you that "government is the bad guy"... why are they running then?
Yes they are making a lot of money on their business and then they are making a lot of money on their employees. It’s like legal slave labor.
@@mossyoakmom8880 What's wrong with making money? Not everyone believes in Communism or Socialism. And, you obviously know nothing about slave labor. Please read a bit, get informed and then develop your argument.
@@mossyoakmom8880this being a better option than other options for the residents says more about NIMBYs than it does about that company.
I’m impressed with the architects design considerations balancing function and cost. Those must have been painful decisions but to accomplish the goal of affordability you have to give and take. I’d like to see more videos on affordable living and especially pocket neighborhoods.
I LOVE everything about this! Keep up the great work Randolphs!
I am 60 live in Ga with my 68 yr old cousin she was a RN for 35 yrs and she got glaucoma and unfortunately now she is legally blind and has had 4 cornea transplants. I worked 26 yrs full time and from lifting so much weight on my job at hospital I hurt my back we have been looking for something like this the rent is horrible everywhere. I sure wish you guys would look into buying something in the Appalachian mountains up around north ga I can assure you guys would never go wrong building more of these. God please send us something like this!! You guys are amazing. I live like 30 mins from Former President Carter and I remember him and his wife always working with habitat for humanity here in Ga. They help build many homes in Americus Ga. So glad I found y’all’s channel. God Bless you guys.
This is such a wonderful design, it would be wonderful to have an affordable area for seniors that could have their own homes but affordable. I have many friends that would love this concept even if just on 1 level and a storage loft. An area for small community gardens and even a nice laundry facility in the community. But that they could look out for each other and VISIT instead of isolation as seniors age, TY for what you did for affordable housing for many.
This is great! I hope they make many more "pocket neighborhoods" like these.
They could also be called ghettos.
@@pinetree5489Words.
Watching from Europe, I wonder how much privacy they have if any at all. There's not a single solid wall on those houses!
Just try playing music there if nothing else.....
My son rents 2 bedrooms aptm for 1000 €, in Vienna (Austria) and Vienna has been named the world's most liveable city for the third year running! (Categories - stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure).
@@pinetree5489Exactly, nothing but the ghetto!
Beautiful couple! LOVE THEIR MINDSET and AMBITION. LOVE LOVE LOVE please MORE OF THIS all over the GLOBE!!! Greetings from Switzerland, where I hope, that we will also be allowing these kind of housings!!!
Walking through my Seattle neighborhood full of new-built huge houses, I marvel at the square footage and wonder how many people live there. You never see anyone, there are no children playing outside. The new houses are listed at well over $1 million. I grew up in a family with five children in a normal-sized ranch style house in the 1960s. I like the more sensible approach of putting smaller homes on land. Good design, consideration for privacy issues, a neighborhood feel. Admirable couple. I own a 700 sq. ft. condo and would be delighted to trade it for a roomy tiny house like these, with a little outside space.
Suburban “luxury” been deteriorating a lot of peoples mental health m fully realizing it.
Many genuinely like those enormous homes tho and do get outside some at home or elsewhere
@Jazna1 to answer the question..where's the people the children.... parents are working many hours to afford home, children are in daycare because parents are at work . Sad what has happened to family time . From a kid ( me ) didn't have much but at the same time had so much.... as in family fun simple living is valuable so very valuable.
this is what needs to be done across the country. 🦋
Its funny how we look at a bit of extra space and automatically think, you need a roommate. Need to get out of that mindset. Love this idea.
Exactly. Change the mindset, so people can live independently.
Only as an option, if she needed to go that direction. It can be occupied by a person or be occupied with "stuff", as it is now.
Very impressed with the quality and design that go into this build. Tiny houses aren't an answer for everything, but they're a great opportunity for tiny families.
No retirees should be moving into these homes, but why would they when the cost is the same as staying in their 5 bedroom home on half an acre with a swimming pool. Meanwhile kids growing up in places like this will never know the joy of their own tree swing or even a slip n slide, I'm sure pets aren't allowed at these places either. It's just ridiculous
@@stitches318negative Nancy, affordable housing is such a huge problem in NH . This is amazing
@@stitches318 esp because they didn't explain exactly why they sent an email saying to keep the bathroom fan on at all times. Mold problems already? Substandard building products off-gassing? hmmm.
@@stitches318probably more comfortable than living out of a car. And affordable enough to start saving for that house with a yard.
@@aaaaallllld7576 we just built a house and used several of the materials noted, all are high quality and I recognize the brands. Tight & energy efficient homes *require* an air exchanger - our house has one too - because *not using one actually creates the mold*. Rewatch the video, this is explained by the husband and wife team. In this house, as explained, the bathroom fan is the air exchanger.
When my husband and I were first married we rented a condo of 900 square feet @ $400 a month (1989). It was a 2 bedroom 1 bath place on the ground level with a small patio. This was a very reasonable size and more home builders need to build a percentage of these type of places.
Thank you to this couple❣️
And, with the affordability, the people that live there also have a stable financial situation ... which means they can save, have a hopeful future for their children. They can dream.
It's so much more than a tiny home.🥰
What a fantastic program! More states need to adopt this type of thinking to help with the housing industry. Cost for housing has gone through the roof, renting or purchasing.
Pretty clever idea. Build housing for employees, collect rents, and build equity instead of paying higher wages that can pay for housing in the area. Only thing missing is the company store.
Agree
This video is saved in my favourites so I can go back and find it to develop a similar kind of village in a country I love because my wife is from there and many people and families need homes there. This could be a perfect answer for that.
Thanks Kirsten!
Matt -Toronto, Canada
Crazy how little $30/hour full time is now. So discouraging.
New Hampshire minimum wage is $7.25
@kenyonbissett3512 That's what I found frustrating, no one at minimum wage could afford these unless you cram a few people into one.
@@NickaLah A couple could afford one or a room mate situation on minimum wage.
It's a shame their EMPLOYER said, "jeez... nothing we can do about that... oh well let's build 44 ugly tiny houses and charge them rent!!"
@@JbushBush they seem happy and many people like tiny homes, although your comment puts you in the negative position on tiny homes.
9 Families or 44. That's good land use in effect. I love what they did around sizing, window placements, etc...that when done 44 times over, yield upside...but I do agree with the architect that 9 windows would have been better. I have 11 in my off-grid cabin that is nearly identical in size.
I agree but the places seemed full of light and airy.
Also - lots of snow in this area- windows can leak heat…
Not a good idea for more windows in this very cold region. They seem bright enough
A condominium complex would have been even nicer.
@@chocolatebunny5465 rezoning is expensive, time consuming and possibly difficult with neighbors on either side most probably protesting.
This!!! I was just telling my husband and senior mother how I thought something like this would be great for seniors to "age in place". The homes would instead be made to work for seniors with/without disabilities. Wider doors, large doorways, etc. The other part to that was to create a small area for traveling nurses that could stay for a huge discount or even free in return for on-site nursing to be available to the residents if needed. I wish I could do this.
Great for elder care facilities to think of the health and happiness of their workers, reducing commutes and building neighborhoods!
While it seems like a great idea, I'm suddenly reminded of the old company towns, where the company owned your house. So... what happens if you choose to change jobs...
They said they gave preference to their employees but not all the residents worked for them.
Exactly this was something I felt.
@scientifico - if you change jobs, then I guess you'll lose the company discount for rent & have to pay full price. They have renters who aren't their employees.
The company didn’t just own the homes. They owned the grocery stores and dry goods stores, basically every business. That was how they got you with cost of groceries and dry goods. So just the home could put pressure but still a great benefit.
I mean, solution seems simple to me - grandfather the past employee into a slightly-less-discounted rent indefinitely once they change jobs. There's no reason to hit them with a higher rent than they're used to, and no reason to kick them out.
You guys are incredible. Thank you.
Super smart they keep employees which is a win for them as well as the employee.
“What are those people going to be like,” this is a legitimate concern for people when they hear the term affordable housing. I’m so glad this topic was addressed. It’s a real issue, it comes from a real place; but to mention that the people coming into the community are hard working people. They are people that the community actually depend on, firefighters, teachers etc, was beautifully done to mention that.
As a designer I am really impressed by this couple and how much attention to detail on both design and build cost they have done! Excellent!! Now if you want to hire me to start doing these on the west coast, let me know!
I wish cities would start building trains out into the country, and let the villages grow up around the train stations.
I love them and thank you for thinking of others.
True, but long term this will be a profitable venture for them.
All business people think of others, because that's their customers.
I love it. This would work anywhere if you could get the zoning for it. Great job. Y'all should rightly be proud.
Impressive & very well-thought of project! Tiny homes but decent. Hats off to this couple who put their knowledge & skills to good use. I love their genuine compassion to their employees & other residents who deserve it, to create a secure neighborhood & foster a sense of community. This is the type of project that our government should be supporting & doing to address the lack of affordable housing. Keep it up guys! ❤
thank you for posting this story!!1. i woke up this morning and it's the first video I saw! it's so nice to wake up something positive and people actually helping one another instead of what we usually get!!! so thank you thank you thanks you!!!
I loved this tour. So many great ideas. Everyone who lives there is grateful. I wonder if cats or dogs are allowed. Is it possible to have 44 pets on the property? That would be interesting, especially if everyone had a Golden Retriever. Also, put in a pet daycare and have an art center, a party room, and an outdoor entertainment yard for outdoor fire pits and kitchen.
My husband, a Marine, was stationed across the river in Kittery, Me. We got married in Portsmouth, NH, and lived there in 1965!
Wonder how much the rent or house payment was then…😢
Thank you for sharing this hopeful community and this inspirational team. Please revisit this community in a few years when all the units are built and the community have planted their trees, flowers, and communal green spaces.
This is absolutely fantastic, I'm physically disabled and have my mentally challenged brother who lives with me and my spouse/caretaker. We live in Massachusetts but it's getting extremely difficult financially to keep living in our house. Would be blessed to be able to live in something like these beautiful places.
This program was so eye-opening for me. How wonderful that you are helping each other
This is a really cool concept and I'd like for this to catch on, McMansions just waste so much space... One thing I would have done different, I would have used concrete bricks (like the Dutch do on their streets) instead of asphalt for the walkways between the houses. Those bricks are permeable to rainwater, reusable and easier to remove/replace in case of having to dig holes for repairing utilities.
Good Idea. I'm going to note that down.
This is great. The leases aren't exclusive to workers so if you decide to change jobs you're not instantly homeless like some companies with housing benefits. It is a pretty steep discount though. Also this a perfect "starter" home. And would even be great for seniors aside from the stairs. Love pocket neighborhoods. Great example of single family home density.
Also HUGE props to having sprinker systems. They're often left out of single family homes to save cost. I mean these are rentals so it makes more sense from that lense.
My most sincere congratulations for this beautiful project, greetings from Barcelona.
I love these people so much. Great job Maggie and John! Love these thoughtful, efficient house designs. And thank you, both, for the detailed tour. I nerd out on those construction details and design choices. Would love to know what fans were used in the bathroom for the house ventilation. It's such a great idea. Also, John was right in limiting the windows. I think wall space is just as important as outdoor light, when designing for small spaces. And finally, Maggie and John said they were part of the construction team. Clearly, their Golden Retriever was, too! Love that pup! Thank you, Kirsten and family, for another inspiring tour! ♥
I love what you’re doing here🤗 Why are so many people against AFFORDABLE housing🤯 I love it! Thank you!
This is a fantastic idea, I love that you left space between them. This would be a great idea for seniors if you could figure out how to get the bedroom on the main floor. I worry about the seniors who rent on social security.
Best thing a senior on SS can do is get a roommate. Two people on SS is a pretty good amount of money to work with.
The bedroom is on the main floor. The upstairs was for storage space and the renters got creative and used it for sleeping.
In the last drone shot, notice that no windows are at headlight level and facing the parking. They really did take the time to think about a lot of edgecases that can make a place unpleasant to live in
Yea. the driveway and parking lot is treated like the back of house. Like it's supposed to! You can have that small communal yard that is pedestrian, with kids playing in it, fronting the house.
That was great information. As a 74 single, thank you.
Everyone in this video is so caring. Beautiful project :)
This makes me cry. I pray that this beautiful way of thinking will spread across the US. Thank you for sharing.
I actually like that the motivation was not altruistic. It means its more likely to be replicated. Especially if its profitable.
Seeing what these people have achieved has given me hope for the future. 💕
Weirdly cyclical too...they get back their wages in the form of rent from you. Share cropping...mark 2
What a wonderful couple to make a difference for so many people. God bless you🙏🏻
The world could take lessons from you both. Thank you to real humans and who are compassionate 💕 This is truly amazing! Both of you should run for office😊
We need to do this all over the United States!
Levittown
My boyfriend’s son lives in Levittown. The house is about 2,500 sq ft.
We need this scale of development all over, but the ownership model needs to figure out how to allow people to buy the homes for themselves, not rely on a benevolent employer holding the ownership and tying rent breaks (or even rental ability) to employment with that company. The couple in the video seem like good people, but if you're renting there and you get into an employment dispute, what happens? When your job literally owns the roof over your head, there's an even bigger imbalance of power between employer and employee...
The world, would get a lot of people off the streets.
How about an opportunity to purchase
👏🏽Brilliantly done!!
Can these people be any cooler?? ❤❤❤
They are model employers; let’s hope their model is replicated!
I love this for Dover. That area of NH is super expensive and I hope we see more of this especially up in Jackson and North Conway!
Also, the choice on the insulation to remove thermal bridging combined with a taped zip system and the spray foam is crazy efficient in both energy savings and cost. NH should adopt this model across the state.
Maggie and John are absolutely amazing. They both have such insight and drive to make a project like this work. A couple that have complementary skills and knowledge about how to plan window sizes to fit between studs and fans to draw air for proper circulation and double down on the insulation. Wow! I wonder how their employees like working for them. Much respect for you two, for giving back.
Love this! More like this in more places, please! Imagine buying a farmhouse with a few acres and being able to build a tiny house village. They did great with the planning, engineering & speed. A great stopgap in lieu of public housing & condo towers. Bravo to the owners for figuring this out. For doing the right thing. I think the complaint from urbanists is "we know apartment buildings, duplexes and so on get heating & cooling efficiency with common walls" and I get that. Those are systemic issues which States & Feds alike refuse to deal with. This type of project has support in the existing building code. A group can go to their township and get them to approve "addendum Q" and do this? Powerful.
I would say the standard of living is going in reverse. Should there really be a celebration about this?
Let's take it a step further. Allow these people to own these homes over time and not be renters for life.
I can imagine that the employees are excellent workers who appreciate their jobs and the benefits associated with them.
A special project by special people and a great win/win for all.
A community like this is what I've always wanted to do for the homeless with animals they can care for and gardens to grow their own food. Life changes when stability and a purpose to live is given. One day...❤
This is so cool. I'm a senior and scared for lot of oldies and single moms, who can't even afford rent. Instead of making them homeless, the gov't should be donating land to these neighborhoods. Home pride is huge for us too.
This is inspiring the homes are rental but that helps keep the cost to live in them down. The first house they showed had a 1,050 a month rent. The last renter they did not mention her rent but she did mention her previous rental was 2,400 in an older house that was not well maintained. The 44 homes they said will cost 6 million to build with the land grading retention and retaining walls included in addition to the actual house . So each home is 140k to build then and with just over a 1k in rent per month it will take around 11 years to pay of the houses for the builder by renting not considering any repairs to the houses in those eleven years or any interest on money borrowed to build. I commend the them for doing this as they have over a decade to break even from renting out the houses.
The 1050 rent was for an employee with a discount. It is a strategy to keep employees close to work and reliable while providing the employee with housing security. It is a win-win and I wish more employers would consider this.
@@krl970listening again, I heard the rent was $1050 but she gets an employee discount so hers is lower. Perhaps I misinterpreted the sentence. Minimum wage in New Hampshire is $7.25. So if she makes $8, her yearly wages are $16,640, not enough for a $1,050 rental rate. Interest on the loan (probably thru HUD), property taxes, insurance will make this break even. They must keep rents low in perpetuity. If they can get tax breaks maybe a small profit, otherwise the payoff is in 30 years. If these units qualify for section 8, that could be her discount, qualifying would be iffy.
@@kenyonbissett3512 yeah, maybe I misunderstood. I do think this project is a win for the employer even with a rent subsidy/discount, it is very difficult to run care facilities because of staffing issues - it does not pay well and the pandemic really decimated the field.
@@krl970 she and her son seem happy, that’s a win.
Why not encourage home OWNERSHIP???
I think this is an awesome solution, especially for young couples, small families, or single people; but it would work for retirees too. Ya, the stairs are a must have, but I think I'd like to see a slat type wall between the living room & stairway (~14:00). It would still give you a supporting wall (if that's even needed) and a wall to put stuff up against, but it would make the stairway feel less claustrophobic and more open. Great job👍!
I think if the handrail was removed and the did some type of cutouts the walls you could grab at if you needed would be space saving too
Its a good concept,their hearts are in the right place.
This is a great project! Congratulations to everyone involved.
Those are cute little houses and it's great that the employees get opportunities to rent brand new units for a discount. Having said that, I love the whole "you can't build affordable homes for profit" before they begin to speak a length that how profitable this venture really is. The simple fact is these little houses aren't really that affordable, they're just small.
Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with making money and I love the project, but we should be honest about what it is.