Creating more homes in Minnesota over the next decade will require new, innovative approaches across the spectrum. State and local governments will have to prioritize new policies and investments that incentivize housing. Communities will have to organize and push their leaders to make more homes a core commitment. And the construction industry must innovate.
A key recommendation of the Minnesota Task Force on Housing was to position Minnesota as a national leader in the advancement of housing innovation and technology. Embracing new technology, building methods, and materials can lower the cost of creating new homes.
Innovation can create more homes and lower costs across the housing continuum. In Austin, Texas, New Story, a housing charity organization, and ICON, a construction tech company, have partnered to try and end global homelessness. They created a prototype of a 3D-printed house that costs $4,000 and is completed in 24 hours. With Minnesota’s long history of innovation and creativity, we be a national leader in this kind of housing innovation if we commit to it.