Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg Seeking Community Support for Milestone 3D Printed House Project
Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg is looking to the community at large to support the first 3D-printed Habitat home on the East Coast.
Construction will get underway this month on the 1,200 square-foot, three-bedroom house in Williamsburg, only the second Habitat home in the nation that will use 3D printer technology to speed up the building process and reduce costs. Once completed, the home will be sold to April and her son, who are excited to become first-time homebuyers.
“We have raised 70% of the funds to support this milestone project, but we need the community’s help to close the gap,” said Janet V. Green, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg. “We are grateful for any and all donations we receive that will go toward the dream of home ownership for a local family.”
Donations are being accepted here.
“Our goal is to raise $30,000 from the community one donation at a time,” Green said. “To have fun with this crowdfunding project, in the spirit of the 3D technology, we’ve set up a donation portal online to give in increments that include threes – $33.33, $83.33, which is the cost to construct a square foot of the home, and $333.33. Of course, any and all donations are welcome and we love to be surprised.”
Donors who give $33.33 or more and are at least 18-years-old will get the opportunity to sign up on a first come, first served basis for a tour of the construction site while the 3D printing is going on. Donors who give $83.33 or more will get that same invite and a commemorative t-shirt celebrating the milestone project.
Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg broke ground on the home on July 12 with a ceremony that included the family, regional partners, state legislators and Alquist, the 3D-printing construction company, which, like Habitat, is committed to providing affordable housing to low-income families.
Once complete, the family will buy the house through Habitat’s homebuyer program. Homebuyers pay a mortgage that is no more than 30% of their monthly income with payments that are then cycled back into the community to help build more affordable homes.
With the support of the community, Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg is hopeful the family can move into its new home by the end of the year.