Habitat for Humanity launches ‘Rural Starter Home Initiative’
Published on:
April 27, 2026
Local organization is working to secure a site to construct houses in clusters rather than one-off builds. Image contributed.
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HUDSON―Owning a home has long been described as “The American Dream.” But for many people, that dream is out of reach. Last month the median price of a home sold in Greene County was $425,000, up from $179,900 in 2018, according data from the New York State Association of Realtors.
Developing real solutions to the nationwide housing crisis is something Columbia-Greene Habitat for Humanity (CGHFH) has already been tackling and recently released its new strategic plan, dubbed “CGHFH: Developing Capacity and Community.” Outlining a path to more impact in the twin counties, the focus on the three-year plan is building more homes, more often, while continuing the 33-year organization’s evolution.
“The key to achieving these goals is the siting and construction of our Rural Starter Homes in small clusters that align with the needs and character of our rural communities in Columbia and Greene Counties,” explained Al Bellenchia, CGHFH chief executive.
The Rural Starter Home Initiative builds starter homes for households that bring in roughly 50-80% of the Area Median Income, or about $56,350 to $90,150 for a family of four. Sale price isn’t based on market value, instead the organization sells the finished houses―and the land they sit on―for no more than 30% of a buyer’s income.
“We are a community-supported organization, and collaboration with municipal officials, planning boards, community members, donors and other stakeholders is the key to building more homes for average wage residents. These essential workers are the bedrock of our communities and market-based solutions have failed to address their needs,” Bellenchia said.
The first of these homes was built on a half-acre site in Niverville but construction actually started on the grounds of the State Capitol during Habitat New York’s 2024 Capital Build Day. There, some 300 volunteers came together to build panels for the home with assembly plans created by the organization’s construction team.
“It is quick to be able to be built, it can be transported to any site and it can be built by volunteers,” Bellenchia noted.
The three-bedroom, two-bath Niverville house is now complete GCHFH is working to secure a site to construct these quality, low cost, energy efficient and replicable starter homes in clusters rather than one-off builds.
To qualify, future homeowners must demonstrate a need to affordable housing, be able to obtain a third-party mortgage and be willing to partner with the CGHFH by contributing “sweat equity hours” toward building their home or working on another of the organization’s projects.
Founded in 1993, the organization focused on Columbia County for three decades, completing 27 traditional single houses across Ancram, Copake, Chatham, Hudson, New Lebanon, Valatie and Philmont.
“We expanded into Greene County in late 2024 and have begun service through our Habitat Helping Hands home repair and homeowner education program,” noted Bellenchia, explaining that the program is focused on senior and mobility-challenged homeowners and provides critical safety and accessibility improvements such as ramps and stairs.
“We have also been focused on building relationships with officials and organizations in Greene County, and are exploring potential opportunities to build,” he said.
“We are in the process of adding a couple of county residents to our board of directors, to assist us in getting to know the county and its needs and will be announcing that publicly soon,” Bellenchia added.
On May 2, CGHFH will host a Community Celebration at its headquarters at 3521 Route 9 in Hudson. It runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and guests are invited to speak with the team, hear from supporters, and tour a prototype home built on-site, directly next to the new Restore.
Part home improvement store, part home goods store, ReStore is a Habitat for Humanity retail store whose proceeds help build the organization’s homes. Friends of ReStore make tax-deductible donations of merchandise that is sold at low prices while keeping these goods out of landfills.
For more information about GCHFH and its Rural Starter Home Initiative, visit www.columbiagreenehabitat.org.
“We are ready, willing and able to build and keep more residents invested in thriving communities,” Bellenchia said.
