About us

Philosophy

Permanent Land Stewardship. Modular Community Design. Practical Autonomy.

Hiraeth Homes was founded in Morganton, North Carolina, to solve a systemic rural crisis: the rapid loss of working 3-to-15-acre homesteads to commercial subdivision, and the lack of financially self-sustaining, restorative housing models across rural America.

Rather than building one-off charity housing, Hiraeth Homes has engineered a replicable rural Community Land Trust (CLT) chassis. By pairing permanent, decommodified land tenure with low-sensory restorative architecture and revenue-generating botanical micro-enterprises, our model creates self-stabilizing rural pockets that balance intellectual inquiry, emotional steadiness, and skilled physical work.

Built for Multi-Sector Replication: While our flagship Blue Ridge Foothills pilot is tailored for independent neurodivergent adults, the underlying Hiraeth homestead architecture—1 existing main residence + 2 to 4 cottage additions + a working greenhouse micro-enterprise—is standardized for rapid replication across multiple populations:

  • Cohort Track I (Active Flagship Pilot): Low-sensory, supportive agricultural homesteads for neurodivergent adults seeking economic and personal independence.

  • Cohort Track II (Intergenerational & Aging-in-Place Stewardship): Allows senior landowners to remain on their land in a supported cottage cluster while passing agricultural operations to incoming stewards.

Executive Leadership

Symone Brown — Founder & Executive Director Symone Brown founded Hiraeth Homes in Morganton, North Carolina, after witnessing two converging gaps in the region: the lack of calm, non-institutional living environments for neurodivergent adults, and the steady loss of small family homesteads to commercial subdivision.

Drawing on direct experience in patient care, independent botanical cultivation, and community organizing in Burke County, she designed the Hiraeth framework as a practical alternative to passive care models. As Executive Director, she oversees the trust’s land acquisition pipeline, fiscal sponsorship compliance, and regional partnerships across the Blue Ridge Foothills.

Governance & Advisory Structure

Engineered for Fiduciary Rigor and Turnkey Deployment

Hiraeth Homes operates with a lean executive structure supported by cross-sector governance:

  • 501(c)(3) Fiduciary & Compliance Oversight: Comprehensive grant accounting, tax-deductible asset receipt, and federal audit compliance administered through our fiscal sponsor, Fiscal Sponsorship Allies.

  • Land Conservation & Estate Transfer: Structured in collaboration with regional land conservancies, real estate counsel, and estate executors to facilitate tax-advantaged donations, bargain sales, and split-parcel acquisitions.

  • Standardized Site Development: Guided by regional general contractors, civil engineers, and microgrid specialists to ensure our farmhouse-plus-ADU cottage template can be replicated predictably across rural counties.

For inquiries regarding open seats on our Technical & Development Advisory Board, contact symone@hiraeth-trust.org

Credentials

 

501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status: Hiraeth Homes operates under comprehensive Model A 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship with Fiscal Sponsorship Allies, Inc. All charitable donations of real estate, capital, and laboratory/agricultural equipment are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

 

Direct Executive & Legal Contact: symone@hiraeth-trust.org