First Nations Housing Program

First Nation housing is in a crisis. This is not news. The housing stock is shoddy, it is unhealthy, and to make matters worse, it is in short supply.

It is not surprising then, that housing, along with employment, and training are top priorities for many Canadian First Nations and Native American communities. Heartland Timber Homes’ addresses all three needs. The HTH Aboriginal Housing Program provides high quality, durable, appropriate,healthy, and affordable housing kits that can be constructed by trained, local crews. Why not make house-building a cornerstone of your community economic development? The HTH “Standard Kits” offer to First Nations economical packages of well-chosen designs and materials. We have thought carefully and creatively about solving the First Nation housing crisis – we have solutions that work.

From the North Yukon to southern BC, HTH kits have built comfortable, reliable homes in First Nations communities. The Heartland Timber Homes building system – post-and-beam timber frame with solid, massive timber infill between posts – is uniquely suited to aboriginal housing. It avoids the high hand-labor costs of scribe-log houses and the structural drawbacks of conventional “stick-built”, or stud-wall construction.

The Standard Kit features the proven HTH timber system, with economical two-part scissors trusses that pack tight and do not need a separate truss truck. Clear instructions and professional-grade, engineered building plans make construction straight forward.

The Heartland Advantage for Aboriginal Communities

AFFORDABLE TO BUILD

The materials costs of a Heartland Timber Homes Kit are comparable to conventional building packages. The construction labor costs tend to be less – HTH homes assemble very quickly; typically 9-14 days to lockup. Moreover, most or all of this labor can be local jobs.

INEXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN

HTH houses are durable and are easy to keep up. Beautiful and rugged, an HTH home stands up to the rigors of rural lifestyles. Nothing can damage a solid timber wall, and the 1×6 tongue and groove pine paneling that we use for interior walls will outperform gyprock or veneer plywood.

HEALTHY TO LIVE IN

The HTH system does not rely on vapor barriers and loose insulation. Because of this, there is no problem with black mold developing in the walls. Dangerous to health, black mold destroys rural housing. Unlike conventional houses built with synthetics, our solid wood living envelope does not emit toxic vapors.

LONG LASTING – A TRUE “SEVEN-GENERATION HOUSE”

According to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, conventional stick-built First Nation housing lasts on average just 20 years. They give in to black mold, water damage, and too often, weak construction. An HTH structure will last for centuries. In Europe, timberframe houses 700 years old or more are commonplace. Solid timber is more fire-resistant than other building types. First Nations should budget for replacing a conventional house every 20 years. Your yearly costs of ownership (not considering maintenance) are about $15,000/year. With an HTH “Seven Generation House” these costs drop to about $1500/year or less.

CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE

The look and feel of solid timber appeals to many aboriginal people, touching as it does on heritage, tradition, and the natural world. They are warm, gracious and beautiful. No building style suits everyone, but solid timber suits many.

RESPECTS THE EARTH

HTH timber homes have the lowest environmental footprint of any building technology. They help store carbon and they are the product of sustainable forestry: we use salvage cutting from standing dead timber – not from scarce old-growth timber, and not from clear cuts.

Heartland Timber Homes provides design, training, and project management assistance. We can work with First Nation and Tribal housing agencies or individual clients in several ways.

DESIGN SERVICES

Heartland wants to best match needs, interests, and budgets with suitable building design. Some innovative multi-unit designs can have very low costs per square foot. We have off-the-shelf plans for studios, as well as one, two, three, and four bedroom houses. We can also design to suit.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT & TRAINING

The most cost-effective projects are those which a First Nation department (or an individual) manages themselves. As their own General Contractory, First Nations can directly control costs and they need not add on a contractor’s profit margin. Heartland can provide a skilled foreman who can assist or advise in project management while providing on-the-job skills training to construction workers.

PUBLIC EDUCATION

We can help inform your community about solid timber housing and can answer questions that people so often have.