Matthei Place is comprised of 14 single-family homes on less than one acre in the Happy Valley neighborhood of Bellingham. Named to commemorate Chuck Matthei, a long-time leader in community development and permanently affordable homeownership, the project is a successful example of an urban infill project with compact, energy-efficiency, affordable homes in synch with its thriving neighborhood. Matthei Place provides two- and three-bedroom homes ranging from 860 to 1210 square feet for first-time homebuyers, in close proximity to the full range of urban amenities, including schools, parks, shopping and public transportation. Matthei served as a pilot project for the US Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes project, earning Silver status. As with all KulshanCLT homes, a 99-year renewable ground lease ensures Matthei place homes remain affordable without additional community equity or subsidy. One-time community investment in the form of mortgage gap financing bridged the gap between the cost of building the homes and the prices set for what low-income homebuyers can afford. When the home is resold, KulshanCLT’s shared-equity strategy provides the homeseller with a reasonable rate of return, while retaining the home’s long-term affordability.

 

Greening Goals

KulshanCLT’s goals for Matthei Place were three-fold:

• To utilize the community land trust strategy in a smart-site location to create as many units of high quality, energy-efficient, permanently affordable homes as appropriate for the site;

• To utilize the city of Bellingham’s Demonstration Program for Innovative Permanently Affordable Homeownership Projects to show that dense urban infill can be achieved in a positive, sustainable and affordable way; and

• To become a success pilot project for the US Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes rating system.

 

Green Highlights

• Compact site with small homes, from 860 to 1,210 square feet
• Excellent access to local and regional public transportation
• Integrated design process that prioritized green attributes based on LEED for Homes pilot project
• Advanced framing techniques and local engineered trusses used
• Well insulated envelope with low-toxicity insulation
• Tight building with good moisture control and ventilations through trickle vent intakes and continually operating exhaust fans
• Energy Star appliances and lighting fixtures
• Low-flow water fixtures
• Native landscaping reduces need for irrigation
• Rain garden and underground rainwater storage promote infiltration and minimize runoff
• Reused or recycled 90% of construction waste
• Used fiber-cement board siding reduce raw material use and enhance durability
• Commissioning by third party as part of LEED certification, including Energy Star modeling and building envelope testing
• Homeowners trained and provided written manuals to maximize function, environmental benefits, and sustainable of their homes.

 

 

 

Read more about Matthei Place:

• 2008 Home Depot Foundation Award of Excellence Affordable Housing Built Responsibly
• ‘Meet Matthei Place’ commemorative publication (download coming soon)