It would be easy to make what they are doing sound cheesy: “Squamish's 'Heart House' is spreading the housing love through town.”
That kind of thing.
But what the residents of the so-called Heart House—the large home on the corner of Mamquam Road and Highlands Way South, which dons the colourful lights, and the large outdoor hearts—are trying to do is serious business.
In the midst of this years-long housing affordability crisis, they aim to bring back the ability for middle-income earners to own a home in this community.
They have launched DWIFT Housing Society, a non-profit social venture that aims to sell houses at cost.
What is DWIFT?
DWIFT stands for Do Whatever It Takes, according to the society's Sean Easton.
The society has big plans to ultimately see more middle-income earners be able to own a home of their own in Squamish—in low-rise apartment buildings and townhome complexes—by building homes that would sell for 25% to 30% below market costs.
Ultimately, they envision a future where 20% of the district's housing stock is affordable.
The goal is to build 50 homes within five years and another 300 in the next decade.
Lofty goals.
But it all started with that Heart House.
Easton, his brother, Brett and Karl Bilodeau built that home; the brothers and their families live in it.
"And two dogs, two cats and a hamster," Easton said with a laugh.
The house is affordable for all who live in it, including Easton's mother-in-law.
“It's a simple design, built with some pre-manufactured construction systems. We were able to build it fast and high quality. ... The design is really efficient. So, we have nine people living in the house, and there's space for everyone, and our cost of living is quite a bit less than the average renter in Squamish, and we're living in a newly built custom home.”
But the three builders started to think about what the next step could be, and DWIFT was born.
"We started exploring, what could we do next? So, it grew from potentially doing low rises into recognizing that the economics of land, which is the more we [can] fit, the more affordable it can be. And we could apply our situation to so many in Squamish. So many people could benefit from this. So why don't we build it to benefit more?"
Combining knowledge, seeking feedback
Each of the men has skills and experience that they bring to the table.
Easton is co-executive director of the Zero Ceiling Society of Canada, a non-profit dedicated to ending youth homelessness.
His brother, Brett, is a designer and entrepreneur.
Bilodeau is a licenced homebuilder who owns Golden Spruce Contracting.
They also have some heavy-hitting advisors from the housing sector, including Squamish Helping Hands Society's former executive director Maureen Mackell, who retired last year.
How would they do it?
In a document which describes their plan, DWIFT lays out the way they say they can provide more affordable home ownership.
Fundamentally, it is by reducing the cost of doing business as homebuilders.
"Our biggest cost savings is achieved by cutting out developer profit margins," the document reads.
They would also implement "gentle densification," meaning more units on the property, to reduce the cost of construction per home.
"As a non-profit we can access below-market lending rates and attract social impact capital," the document reads.
The homes' designs would also lend themselves to lower cost per square foot.
"We utilize manufactured construction systems that result in more durable, energy-efficient homes as well as faster build times," the document states.
The DWIFT model has caught the interest of social impact investors as well as the federal housing agency, Welcome to the Community Housing Transformation Centre, which has invested in DWIFT launching its program.
They are in the final stages of a feasibility study and ready to make their plan a reality, Easton said.
"So we're at that point now where our model is refined enough that we're engaging in conversations with the District," Easton said.
"We ... are looking to purchase property and initiate a project early next year."
A spokesperson for the District said that the new affordable rental zoning bylaw is intended specifically to attract creative rental housing solutions from the private sector and non-profits.
“We have had some preliminary conversations with DWIFT, but there are no commitments or a working relationship/partnership formed at this point,” said muni spokesperson Rachel Boguski in an email to The Squamish Chief.
How is it sustainable?
To sell homes at cost is one thing, how does DWIFT plan to keep them that way?
To prevent folks from buying an affordable home and flipping it for a hefty profit, Easton says there would be a land agreement with the municipality.
"Where, by granting us the opportunity to densify, we have to put a covenant on the land saying that this is for the purpose of affordable housing, and then that that covenant gets transferred on to title," he said.
"At this stage, they're going to be stratified, so we put [the covenant] on the individual titles of each unit ... And then, in the sales agreement, we retain the first right of refusal to purchase that property again, so that we can manage and direct who the property goes to next. The idea would be that we would maintain that level of affordability throughout the lifespan of the house."
What they need
Easton said now that DWIFT is a reality, they invite like-minded problem solvers to join them on their mission.
"We'll be looking for partners and people who are suffering from the same problem that we're trying to solve so that they can contribute to the solution."
They are also looking for property owners who want to work with DWIFT to purchase their property.
"We can pay fair market value but require an extended closing date," he said. "Those who sell their property to us would be able to stay on their land and downsize into one of our homes, all while supporting other locals to stay and thrive in our community."
Folks can reach out via their still-under-construction website.
