File Photo

The City of Clovis’ Cottage Home program is expanding out of the Old Town area and is now available to residents throughout the city whose properties qualify for participation in the program.

 Clovis’ Cottage Home Program provides free building plans to qualifying homeowners to construct a second home on their property along with city support throughout the process.

Launched in August of 2017 to address the growing need for affordable housing and to encourage residential infill development in the Old Town area on properties with alley access, the city now hopes to make the program more widespread across the city.

“We are thrilled that the City of Clovis is now able to provide property owners throughout Clovis with the opportunity to take advantage of this unique affordable housing program,” said Dwight Kroll, director of Planning and Development Services for the City of Clovis. “By expanding outside of Old Town we are essentially doubling the number of properties on which cottage homes could be built.”

The three plans for small cottage homes are offered free of charge and are all less than 450 square feet and intended to face into alleys.

There is no set measurement as to what qualifies as a tiny home, but they are usually considered to be between 400 square feet to around 1,000 square feet.

Currently, there are 10 completed cottage homes and one under construction.

The American Planning Association has recognized the City of Clovis Cottage Home Program for addressing the need for affordable housing.

The Fresno City Council enacted a new development code that recognized tiny homes and tiny homes on wheels as acceptable “backyard cottages,” or Accessible Dwelling Units (ADU’s) in November 2015. Fresno is believed to be the first city in the nation to have adopted a zoning code that includes tiny houses.

Self-Help Enterprises, through a new partnership with the City of Clovis, will provide financing to eligible property owners seeking funding to build a cottage home.