Home Builders and Remodelers Association Explains Infill Programs

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MARYVILLE - The Home Builders and Remodelers Metro East Association has worked hard to bring infill programs to local communities.

HBRMEA has helped establish infill programs in Granite City and Belleville. Executive Director Shannon Stelling said she is also in conversation with the City of Alton about starting a program in the Riverbend. She believes infill programs allow more first-time homebuyers to get into homes and build neighborhoods.

“The whole goal is to bring neighborhoods back to these communities, to put homes where homes once sat, to give opportunities to first-time homebuyers or maybe even retirees,” Stelling said.

She explained that the infill programs allow municipalities to work with builders. They acquire the lots for one dollar, and then the builders do not charge the consumer for the cost of the property. Stelling said that consumers are “basically getting the land for free” as a result, saving anywhere from $30–50,000.

On top of that, the consumer then pays taxes on the value of that lot, not the home itself. Instead of paying real estate taxes on a $225–300,000 house, the consumer might pay $300 in taxes for the lot.

“If you do the math on that, the savings in that alone over the course of five to ten years, it’s a lot of money,” Stelling said. “It’s an investment and it’s an opportunity for people to get in homes that may not otherwise have that opportunity because of the tax savings and because of not having to pay, basically, for your land. Then there are first-time homebuyer opportunities. There are other things available to help you bridge it to get yourself into that home.”

The homes built through an infill program must be owner-occupied. Stelling believes this requirement brings more people to these municipalities.

She noted that HBRMEA is working to bring infill programs to more communities in the Metro East region. As the programs grow in Belleville and Granite City, Stelling hopes to start a similar program in Alton soon.

“The municipalities are looking at options and want to bring back neighborhoods. They want to bring back opportunities for younger people to invest in a home and stay in their communities,” she added. “It’s everybody working together. The homebuilding industry is so much more than somebody swinging a hammer.”

For more information about the Home Builders and Remodelers Metro East Association, visit their official website at HBRMEA.org.

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