Adirondack Roots building four new “affordable forever” homes in Keene

Homes in the Both Meadow Trail development will cost about $160,000 each and be reserved for families that meet income qualifications based on family size.

“Our housing shortage means that families and individuals who could have afforded homes 10 years ago now find themselves priced out of the market,” said Megan Murphy, the executive director of Adirondack Roots, a non-profit housing organization based in Elizabethtown. “The Both Meadow Trail project is aimed squarely at people who may already be living in and contributing to our communities, such as renters or those looking to age in place, but have not been able to find the right opportunity.”

Construction on the first two Both Meadow Trail homes—all two-bedroom, one-bath units—has already started and will be complete in October. The next two will start by September, and end in December.

“The creation of additional affordable and workforce housing is one of our greatest needs in Keene, and I’m very excited to see this project get off the ground,” said Teresa Cheetham-Palen, a member of the Keene Town Council and chair of the Keene Housing Task Force. “With the Little Peaks Preschool & Early Childhood Center just next door, this project is a great example of a public-private partnership coming together to solve real problems. I’m grateful to Adirondack Roots for seeing it through.”

Applications to purchase the homes are available online, the Keene Town Hall and the Keene and Keene Valley libraries, and will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Selected applicants must provide additional income verification and complete both HUD-certified homebuyer counseling and an E-Home Homebuyer Education Course.

Once built, the homes will become part of the Adirondack Community Housing Trust. While buyers will own their homes, the Trust will own the land underneath them. Homeowners will pay $300 a year to lease the land, as well as property taxes.

This shared-equity model allows the homes to be sold at below-market prices, as does support from the New York State Affordable Homeownership Opportunity Program. Should buyers decide to sell their homes in the future, resale prices are limited by a formula meant to ensure future affordability. In addition, future buyers must meet similar income restrictions.

The homes, modular units manufactured by Simplex Homes, will be delivered to the site and constructed by O’Neil Contracting of Bloomingdale. Each home includes about 900 square feet of living space on the first floor, as well as an unfinished basement and second floor. The second floor will be configured so that it could be finished in the future by the homeowners. Energy-efficient heat pumps provide heating and cooling.

Part of the property where the homes will be built was once owned by former Keene Supervisor Tom Both and his wife, Alaina. They sold it to Adirondack Roots, then known as the Housing Assistance Program of Essex County, with the intention that it would be used for future moderate-income housing.

“This project has been a long time coming, but creative, lasting solutions are worth waiting for,” said Emily Kilburn-Politi, chair of Adirondack Roots’ board. “We still have a dire housing shortage in this region, but between Both Meadow Trail and other projects, we’re showing that it’s not an unsolvable challenge. I’m gratified for everybody that has come together to make Both Meadow Trail a reality — New York State, the Town of Keene, the Adirondack Community Housing Trust, and our staff here at Adirondack Roots.”