What Sustainable Development Means For KDA Homes
With a passion for sustainable development, Laz Ayala, Mark Knox and Dave Decarlow of KDA Homes are committed to developing communities that are environmentally conscious and affordable. The three Ashland residents have spent a lot of time brainstorming what they can do as developers to combat climate change, the rising cost of living and wage stagnation in the Rogue Valley. To them, one of the most important things they can do to combat these issues is to build homes that are affordable relative to the local market.
“In Ashland, the median price of a home is around $450,000. From speaking with our customers, we understand that this number falls well outside many of their budgets. This is especially true for our younger customers who are looking to purchase their first home and raise a family here in Ashland. Because prices are so high, many look elsewhere in the valley which is affecting the amount of youth in our community” said Laz Ayala, General Manager at KDA Homes.
To provide more opportunities for those with lower incomes, KDA Homes aims to build homes priced as much as 25% below Ashland’s median. They are able to do this by focusing on building homes with smaller footprints that are designed to make the most efficient use of space.
“This sustainable development approach not only makes our homes more affordable when they reach the market but more environmentally conscious as well. Because these homes have a smaller environmental footprint they create far less waste and have a much lower impact on the environment,” said Mark Knox, Land Use Planner at KDA Homes.
However, making housing more financially accessible is only one aspect of housing affordability. KDA Homes is addressing the cost of utilities by installing solar panels in all of their homes allowing homeowners to produce more energy from the sun than they consume, saving thousands of dollars every year.
“This is not only an appealing feature for our homeowners but the socially responsible thing to do for our planet”, added Mark Knox.
Another way KDA Homes plans to put money back into the pockets of their homeowners is through a revolutionary car share program they will be launching at their newest community in Ashland, The Garden Cottages.
“According to AAA, the average annual cost of car ownership is around $12,000. By providing an electric vehicle that homeowners can check-out when they need a vehicle, we hope to help these families reduce down to single-car households or eliminate the need to own a car altogether. When you couple that with the energy bills that these homeowners are no longer paying, you are looking at annual savings of up to $15,000. This represents 33% of the areas median income that folks can keep or spend in our local economy.”, said Laz Ayala.
One of the challenges these three faces as sustainable developers is convincing others that our planet is, indeed, in peril and that it is up to us to do something about it.
“Watching my two sons create magical inventions out of objects and recycled materials pushes me even further to spread awareness about climate change and the importance of caring for our planet. Climate change is real, wage stagnation is real and the rising cost of living is real. We can’t control any of those factors, but we can take advantage of the technology available today to address these challenges. Hopefully, I can inspire others to do the same.” said Laz Ayala.
Sustainable Homes Currently For Sale In Ashland, Oregon
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About KDA Homes
With over 100 years of combined experience, KDA Homes is committed to being pioneers in smarter home design leading the way for sustainability in residential development and green building. The company approaches every project with the end goal in mind – building a home for a new community to grow. KDA is a proud member of the Ashland community.
