Burnet, Texas, has a neat small town development idea, to encourage building close in, instead of out on the edge in suburb-style developments.
 |
| Downtown Burnet, Texas. |
They call it the Hometown Housing Program. For new houses on empty residential lots in the targeted core area, the city rebates 100% of water, sewer and electric tap fees, permit fees, and plan review fees. Simple, easy, affordable.
Why does it matter? Spreading the town out with new homes out on the edges costs everyone more in stretching new infrastructure and services out to meet them. Keeping the town more compact keeps the center of town more vibrant instead of hollowing it out. This is especially important in small towns with fewer resources to go around.
Read more about it here: Burnet Hometown Housing Program. Bonus: the city has posted their ordinance, for you to use as a template for your town, too.
New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.
- Rural business idea: sell foraged fruits and more - August 3, 2021
- Best practices for rural housing - July 19, 2021
- How to be more open to new ideas #IdeaFriendly - July 3, 2021
- Market your small town as a movie filming location, attract movie and game fan tourists - June 28, 2021
- Survey of Rural Challenges 2021 results, analysis of themes from 2015 through today - June 7, 2021
- What makes a small town a micropolitan or nanopolitan? - May 22, 2021
- Improving Rural Housing: turning blighted dilapidated houses into new homes - May 7, 2021
- Are marijuana shops good or bad for small towns? - April 22, 2021
- Downtown is your town’s core: How to make your case - February 22, 2021
- Zoom Towns: attracting and supporting remote workers in rural small towns - December 10, 2020
