The June Challenge for spending our points has provided some great material from fellow bloggers. I'm amazed at the creativity, but this also stymied my progress on coming up with a post idea. There have been great philanthropic posts that are so inspiring, which is actually what got me going! So I decided to start with that idea in mind. Thank you fellow AR bloggers!
My idea is to use my points as a way to solve homelessness and affordable housing. And to make the best difference, what if this could be replicated across the country?! These homes would use the least expensive sustainable construction materials, be energy efficient, provide better indoor air quality, and homeowners would be required to attend classes on how to keep and maintain a home. Classes could also include gardening, rain water harvesting, art..... you name it! Homeowners would thrive in these communities!
Developing new homes requires some diligence. Land is the first hurdle in developing new homes. In order to reduce the cost, I'd seek partnerships with each city to donate city land not in use that is in decent areas. Permits would be fast-tracked, and language added into building codes per city to allow for an earthen type of construction. Not every city building code includes this type of construction, even in Arizona. Homes would be built by volunteers and those that would live in the homes. Sound familiar? Yup - Habitat for Homes. But these homes would be using a different construction method.
Habitat for Humanity is well known for providing those homes and all of the above aspects of helping people achieve homeownership. But what if these homes could be even cheaper, energy efficient and using local materials versus lumber from Canada? It can be done, the program exists right here in Arizona and I'd spend $1 million points to kickstart a larger scale development!!
Brick by Brick is a Scottsdale program using dirt, concrete sand and portland cement to make bricks that are already cost efficient at .25 -.50 cents per brick! These bricks are stronger than adobe, have a fraction of the carbon footprint, and are 50% more energy efficient that traditional construction methods! Check out the video below that explains more about the history of using dirt, aka mud to build buildings! And if you're in a different climate zone, add local materials that work in your city.
This second video shows the history of earthen structures and Compressed Earth Blocks (CEB) that are used in the Brick Brick program. Check out the thermal heat and cooling effects as well. These can be tiny homes or larger homes. But one thing is for sure, they cost less and have so many health benefits with no volatile organic compounds. In fact, it's been shown that earthen homes absorb toxins we bring into those homes!
This challenge gave me the opportunity to revisit this idea which I'd already seen and am immensely grateful. This is a way forward to effect positive change to help the homeless and create affordable housing for those priced out of housing. I'd use this program if I didn't have any points. But the points fill the gaps! Thank you for the challenge Anna "Banana" Kruchten & Debe Maxwell, CRS !
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