Building an Affordable Small Home Community

We are building a small Home Net Zero community that will be sold below market value in Southern Ontario and need your help.

Opportunity Villages Community Land Trust (OVCLT), a Federally registered nonprofit organization, is committed to bringing affordable homes (selling at least 10% below market value) to Southern Ontario. The homes will be sold lower than market value to keep homeownership a bit more affordable in perpetuity. The homes will be designated Net Zero, the land will remain under the ownership of OVCLT, and the homes will be small - approximately 600-900 sq ft. The homes themselves will be single detached, duplexes and triplexes. Three will be barrier-free. They will be built on a site at 10 Taylor Avenue in Chatham. The homes will be sold to local individuals and families who can’t usually afford to purchase a home. The David Suzuki Foundation likes our unprecedented (in Canada) idea - they named us one of the top 10 finalists in their Future Ground Prize competition!

We need your help to make this happen. Before we construct the homes, we need to build the development’s Common Unit. Why? It will be the energy hub for all the houses and must be functional before the homes can be constructed. Also, every cent donated drops the final selling price of the homes and makes them more financially accessible.

We are volunteers; we won’t profit from this. However, people who are stuck in the rental cycle will benefit. In turn, our efforts will assist in opening up housing for others who cannot find rental units now. The Common Unit will cost about $750 000 to build, including site work and services. Because we aren't profiting from this development, we will only be able to start building once we have the funds for this crucial structure.

We'd love to show you more of what we are planning. Visit our website at ovclt.ca, look around, and sign up for our mailing list.

Please donate any amount (every dollar helps) to move 30 families towards a brighter future. Your name (if desired) will appear on the benefactor’s wall in the Common Unit.