Amy Warren, owner of Hive Development, a construction and development company that specializes in affordable energy-efficient housing, is also a founder at Thistle & Nest, a community land trust (CLT) nonprofit.

The organization brings together three partners: a land developer, a general contractor and the nonprofit community land trust. Together, they develop affordable homes for purchase while the nonprofit keeps long-term ownership of the land through a 99-year ground lease. A shared equity resale formula then helps ensure each home remains affordable for future buyers.

“Not only are homeowners putting money into their own principal every month, but they’re also gaining interest on it with the shared equity resale formula,” says Warren. “And, they’re paying less than what they’d be paying in rent, which is essentially giving your money to someone else every month.”

Warren had worked with the EPS New Homes program offering in the past on another local CLT project and remained connected over the years, even when other projects weren’t eligible for participation in the program.

However, her most recent project for Thistle and Nest, Solace at Iron Horse, a 20-home community in Prineville, Oregon, was the perfect fit. An EPS early design assistance meeting brought Thistle and Nest trades together, aligning mechanical, insulation, and solar contractors from the start.

The resulting energy package included heat pump HVACs, heat pump water heaters, and upgraded insulation. The centerpiece of the package? A 6kW Solar PV system on every home with a “hedge” against utility costs for buyers who need it most. Warren says homes are currently testing at 19.7% above code, with solar as a key driver of that performance.

After learning at a recent EPS New Homes presentation that net zero certification can add a $3,000 per-home incentive, Warren is exploring whether Thistle and Nest’s next project can qualify. The project’s first phase includes 30 homes in Bend as part of a planned 104-home development, with solar included from the start.

For Warren, EPS isn’t just an incentive program, it’s a long-term partner, one that keeps raising the bar on what affordable housing can deliver for the people who need it most.

Interested in learning more about how to get incentives with EPS New Homes? Get in touch here.