Fix to Florida’s affordable housing woes?
A 3D printed house. Courtesy, Icon
The potential of three-dimensional (3D) printing is slowly becoming a reality that may significantly help resolve the affordable housing problem in many countries and right here in Florida. The first 3D printed home was recently created just across the border in Mexico, as a Florida start-up is also aspiring to do the same here. Meanwhile, the Florida Legislature this session is poised to ease zoning restrictions to help, even as it debates how much money to invest in affordable housing around the state.
Icon, a construction tech startup in Austin, Texas, together with a housing nonprofit called New Story has created their first two 3D-printed homes in Tabasco, Mexico. The 500-square-foot homes have two bedrooms, one bath, a kitchen, and a living room. The 3D printer uses a special cement to literally print the house with a big crane-like printer, run by 3D design software, creating curved walls in layers (akin to using a frosting gun to decorate a birthday cake). Traditional installation of electrical, plumbing, HVAC, windows, and fixtures follows. Icon says it can produce an 800-square-foot structure in less than 24 hours for less than $4,000.
A section of a 3D printed wall. Courtesy, 3D Build Systems
Here in Florida, 3D Build Systems of Englewood has finished its trials and successfully manufactured walls but not a full house yet. They are looking for more investor funding in order to begin building homes and hope to do so sometime this year. It’s fascinating to peruse their website and see how they are experimenting with additional additives to enhance their building materials development.
They say they will be able to print the interior and exterior of a structure in 24 hours, cut construction costs by 30%-40%, and use a concrete mix they say is “substantially stronger” than traditional block. Cost savings come from both materials and labor, as only a few workers are needed to operate the printer. Imagine what impact this new technology and process could make in rebuilding communities after a hurricane or other disaster.
Florida is facing an on-going affordable housing challenge, especially in our metro areas of South Florida, where real estate costs have put local housing out of reach for an increasingly larger segment of the workforce. Current bills before the Legislature (SB 998 and HB 1339) would allow local governments to approve affordable housing development on any property zoned residential, commercial or industrial. The measures also provide additional accountability and training for Affordable Housing Advisory Committees and Local Housing Assistance Plans.
Meanwhile, just how much money will be allocated this next fiscal year from the Sadowski Housing Trust Fund dedicated to boosting affordable housing remains uncertain. The Governor’s budget proposal and the Senate’s current budget plan both call for using all $387 million in the fund for affordable housing. The current House budget plan allocates $147 million for affordable housing and “sweeps” the remaining $240 million to fund other budget items.
LMA Newsletter of 2-17-20
