The UC Board of Regents has approved a home building plan in Davis that will offer more affordable housing to faculty members at the University of California, Davis. Ground-breaking for the downtown residential neighborhood, called Aggie Village, is scheduled to take place this fall with the first homes to be completed a year from now, according to John Yates, special project director for the UC Davis administration office. The plan calls for 54 units of housing on 37 home lots, including 21 single-family homes -- 17 of which will have cottages in their back yards and 16 townhouses. The neighborhood is located between B and D streets, adjacent to campus and downtown Davis. Townhome prices will start at $150,000. Single-family homes will range in price from $175,000 to $220,000. Priority will be given to assistant and associate professors not currently owning homes within 30 miles of campus. Other faculty and staff will have the next priority. "The purpose of the project is to provide affordable housing to aid UC Davis in recruiting and retaining faculty," said Yates. UC Davis will hold a ground lease to ensure that the homes remain within the campus community at affordable prices for future generations of university employees.