Sweat Equity Builds Homes in RI

RIHousing, a self-sustaining public corporation created by the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1973 to provides low-interest loans, grants, and mortgage programs to help residents find, rent, buy, and keep affordable homes, has been involved in a wide range of housing developments in the Ocean State.

One of the most interesting, profiled recently in the Providence Journal ,is Fernwood, which was built, in part, by the homeowners themselves to preserve affordability, Fernwood is the development of a 30-unit homeownership neighborhood located in the village of Pascoag.

The multi-phase development has been supported via USDA Rural Development’s unique ‘Mutual Self Help Housing’ program. The program gives qualified first-time homebuyers the opportunity to work under the supervision of a construction manager to help build their own homes. Families work in teams, committing to 30 to 35 hours of work each week to building each other’s homes until the development is complete. This ‘sweat equity’ cuts the cost of each home nearly in half, according to a statement from RIHousing, making the dream of homeownership affordable for low- to moderate-income families.

The homes at Fernwood are located on individual lots within a cul-de-sac neighborhood on George Eddy Drive off of Reservoir Road in the village of Pascoag in Burrillville. Each home includes three bedrooms, 1.5 baths and is set on 1/3 of an acre of land within the development. The houses are designed to reflect the character of historic homes in the area. In addition to physically building their homes, homeowners choose the color and style of their house (Saltbox or Early American) prior to construction. They select the layout, the colors, and finishes, making their houses truly their own.

The development stands on roughly 14 acres, preserving the surrounding open space. The site allows residents to live in a rural setting, with all the amenities of downtown Pascoag nearby. The new structures are Energy Star rated, built to conserve water, and feature renewable materials. Fernwood was awarded a 2019 Outstanding Smart Growth Project Award from Grow Smart RI for its compact design and preservation of natural resources and open space. 

It’s location, particularly quiet and without streetlights, illustrates its commitment to these design principles.