Support Starter Home Initiative
Help Create More Paths to Homeownership
Your support can help address the land and early development costs that often stand between working households and attainable homeownership.
The Cost Begins Before the Home Is Built
A household may be able to finance a modest home and still be unable to overcome the costs that come first. Land, surveys, engineering, utilities, permits, subdivision work and site preparation can make a homeownership opportunity financially out of reach before construction ever begins.
Starter Home Initiative was created to help address those barriers so more working individuals and families have a realistic opportunity to own a home and build long-term stability.
Who helps when the opportunity exists, but the land and development costs still stand in the way?
That is where Starter Home Initiative comes in. We are developing more than one pathway to attainable homeownership, depending on the land, household and community involved.
Community Land Trust Communities
Donations may help acquire and prepare land for Community Land Trust neighborhoods where Starter Home Initiative retains the underlying land and qualifying households finance their own homes. The Orchard Shire is our first proposed demonstration community.
Private-Land Homeownership Opportunities
Donations may also support eligible predevelopment and subdivision costs when suitable privately owned land can legally be used to create a separate, owner-occupied starter-home opportunity for a qualifying household.
Our Funding Goal
$500,000
A combined fundraising goal for donations and eligible grants supporting land acquisition, feasibility, planning, permitting, subdivision and lot creation, infrastructure planning and other qualifying predevelopment costs.
What Your Donation Can Help Fund
- Land Acquisition & Land Opportunities Helping identify, evaluate and acquire suitable land for Community Land Trust communities such as The Orchard Shire.
- Feasibility & Site Testing Surveys, soil testing, environmental review and other early studies needed to determine whether a property can support a home or community.
- Engineering & Planning Site planning, utility evaluation, drainage, access and professional work required to prepare a viable project.
- Subdivision & Lot Creation Eligible surveys, engineering, short plats, subdivisions, unit-lot divisions where permitted, recording costs and other work required to create a separate legal homeownership opportunity.
- Permits & Government Fees Supporting eligible permit applications, reviews, approvals and other government costs required before development can move forward.
- Site & Infrastructure Preparation Helping with eligible early work related to utilities, access, common improvements and preparation of an approved site for future home construction.
Where we are today: Starter Home Initiative is in the development and fundraising stage. The Orchard Shire is our first proposed Community Land Trust community, and we are also developing our private-land predevelopment assistance program. No Orchard Shire property has been secured yet. Actual funding needs will depend on the property, project, household eligibility, local requirements and restrictions attached to each funding source.
Help Turn Opportunity Into Homeownership
Your donation can help fund the groundwork that makes modest, owner-occupied homes possible.from securing land to creating a legal buildable lot.
Donate to Starter Home InitiativeContinue to Square to complete your donation.
Starter Home Initiative’s application for federal tax-exempt recognition under Section 501(c)(3) is currently pending. Donations should not be assumed to be tax-deductible at this time. Please retain your receipt and consult your tax professional regarding deductibility.