TAMPA, Fla. — It’s no secret that there is a rising want for inexpensive housing.
Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco counties tells ABC Action News they’ve already constructed 70 inexpensive properties within the final yr.
And they’re at the moment engaged on 30 extra.
“I’ve never seen the need as high or it’s never felt as high as it is right now,” mentioned the group’s president Mike Sutton.
But skyrocketing lumber costs are making construction dearer.
“Pre-pandemic till now, we’re seeing about a 45 percent increase in the cost of our home,” mentioned Sutton.
To help offset these costs, they’re constructing extra multi-family properties and utilizing totally different supplies.
“We’re starting to look at things like stick frame homes. Again the integrity of them will be just as significant as a concrete house, but there may be a cost savings there,” mentioned Sutton.
It’s a dilemma that USF doctoral student John Cotter has spent the final 4 years learning.
“So the idea is finding new ways to make building materials using different manufacturing methods,” Cotter mentioned.
His newest product is a mixture of concrete and a recycled plastic materials that he hopes will probably be used as a substitute for lumber.
And after dozens of showings and testings, he mentioned folks appear to like his product for fencing and flooring.
“This is a suggestion that we got from a lot of people. That this would be good for decking,” he mentioned.
Cotter tells ABC Action News his subsequent steps are to get it accredited at a state stage and set the pricing at a price that is inexpensive.