Pocket Neighborhood


The Bear River Cottages are a new housing development in Maquoketa, Iowa.  

These homes were constructed to provide an affordable alternative to first time homebuyers looking to own a home versus renting and households wanting to downsize to a smaller more efficient house. 

Each home was constructed by a local contractor and sold for $150,000.  Layers of grant funding and many partners assisted with writing down the construction costs for each home.  Each buyer was provided down payment assistance.  Homebuyers were able to choose from options for their floor plan either two- or three-bedroom, siding color, cabinetry, flooring and paint colors.  All homes have an unfinished basement with a daylight window; two bathrooms, two car garage and front porch. 

For more information on how ECIA made this project a reality, please see the sub-menu on the left. 


Virtual Tour








Site Plan - Letter Updated - Nemmers 9-1-21   Maquoketa-Map-Web-01-768x578

What is a Pocket Neighborhood?

  • Planned community consisting of smaller residences with around 10 homes
  • Moderately priced homes for workforce housing
  • Simple, more affordable building templates with smaller footprints
  • Designed to promote close knit sense of community
  • Increased sense of ownership and connectivity among residents
  • Bungalow or craftsman style home
  • Incorporates sustainability and green building concepts
  • Clustering homes around common amenities
  • Common courtyard area and a shared community garden
  • Community space such as a gazebo
  • Thrives on the spirit of community
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