Turning discards into affordable housing

[bixaorellana]

Twelve years ago Dan Phillips started a construction company building low-income houses from discarded building materials.

There is a thread here on houses of recycled and alternate materials, but what sets those of Mr. Phillips apart is their affordability.



His houses meet local building codes, and his vision inspired "...city officials [who] worked closely with Mr. Phillips in 2004 to set up a recycled building materials warehouse [in Huntsville, Texas] where builders, demolition crews and building product manufacturers can drop off items rather than throwing them in a landfill. There’s no dumping fee and donations are tax deductible because the materials are used exclusively by charitable groups or for low-income housing."

Since that time, other cities in the US have contacted Phillips for advice on opening similar warehouses.

[auntieannie]

oh! how beautiful! I want one!

[Deleted]

Next, they'll be building houses out of gingerbread.

[spindrift]

I love those tiles!

[bixaorellana]

Sept 4, 2009 16:42:15 GMT kerouac2 said:

Next, they'll be building houses out of gingerbread.

Did you read the article?

Keeping stuff out of landfills by using it to build houses that come up to local building codes and that have mortgages of only $300 a month is almost a miracle.

[lola]

That was a great story. To have it be beautiful, too, is icing on the gingerbread. I liked that the homeowners had to help.

[auntieannie]

K, I've got a recipe for that one.