Affordable Housing – Modular Elevator Solution. No one can deny right now there is a problem for urban areas of all sizes and that is affordable housing. According to the most recent stats from “The State of Homelessness in America” a publication of the Council of Economic Advisors, a half-million Americans struggle with housing. 65% of that half-million can be found in homeless shelters while an astonishing 35% or nearly 200,000 are on the streets.
But, I really didn’t need to give you the stats. A stroll down the street in many of our cities reveals the problem without reading a detailed report. Homelessness abounds.
At its core the issue is one of supply and demand. Simply put, there just are not enough residences for a myriad of reasons. As a result the law of supply and demand dictate that many of the homeless are so, because they are priced out of the market. There are just too few housing options. The supply is low – the demand is high and that makes prices likewise high.
One solution is to reform the laws and codes in local jurisdictions that have helped create the problem. Unsurprisingly, the report lays blame at that door and maybe deservedly so. But, good luck with sweeping legislative change, let alone sweeping change fast.
The current political climate in most urban areas makes wholesale changing of housing laws for the better a pipe dream. With that reality it makes the only other solution increasing the supply of affordable housing. The alternative is turning a blind-eye to the problem or to burry our collective heads in the sand.
If more units are the best solution a couple of hurdles need to be crossed. Both time and space need addressing. I am not taking about Albert Einstein and the theory of relativity. Where (space) the housing units can be placed and how fast (time) they can be erected is the concern. This is an immediate crisis and one that will not go away without action so, the faster new housing can be readied for occupancy, the better.
When it comes to housing where it is placed is always key. I recently toured neighborhoods where two completed affordable housing units where ready for occupancy. During the tour I noticed that surrounding the new modular buildings were rows of houses and small apartment complexes. They lined the street, crammed closely together. The houses were probably built in the 40’s or 50’s and most of the houses were still occupied. Several showed a high level of pride in home ownership. As a result it would be unrealistic to acquire those properties in bulk to create a new, sprawling complex. It would be costly and inefficient.
I did however, notice two or three dilapidated units, usually grouped in clusters. There were no rose bushes or neatly trimmed lawns. Graffiti was more common than a car in the drive. They were obviously abandoned. So more housing could be more easily accomplished to use those small narrow lots, instead of buying and bulldozing dozens. But, solving this problem takes more than just a new house being built in place of the old. Multiple units would have to go in that space. That means building up. In the two units I toured it meant a modular elevator.
The second you say “elevator” in any project that is time sensitive eyes roll. Everyone knows that traditional, old-fashioned elevator installation wrecks the timeline for completion. Tacking an additional 6-months, a year or more to the completion date is not unheard of. So, building an affordable housing unit with a traditional elevator is not addressing the immediate need at all. It certainly doesn’t show the homeless population much compassion for the plight they are in, especially when there are alternatives.
Modular building is a much faster option. In the two examples I visited both were purely modular. However, a modular elevator can be used in any type or building project. Even retrofit applications can have a modular elevator installed.
The time savings is because the elevator being built as a completed unit in the factory while the project is still in the process of site prep and permitting. They are then delivered to the jobsite as finished elevators.
Modular elevator units from Modular Elevator Manufacturing can even be used as a construction elevator as they are delivered when you want them.
The elevator is placed in less than four hours and when power is provided they are started up in less than a week. The elevator is removed from the critical path. Problem solved.
Time and space has been inextricably combined by Albert Einstein. His theory linked both into one entity. The same is true with the housing crisis we face.
Time and space are huge obstacles that are linked in the quest for affordable housing. Modular elevators are the solution to addressing both problems at once. The space available means to address the housing crisis we are forced to build up in multi-story units. However, concerns over time constraints and the need to act quickly have dampened the enthusiasm for a multi-story solution. Modular elevators put that solution back on the table. It has worked successfully already in a number of projects we have been a part of.
We are ready to discuss a vertical transportation solution for any low or mid-rise project. Hopefully, we can be a part alleviating the issue of homelessness. Affordable housing is an immediate need and we can be part of the solution. To get the process started just click on the button below. We can provide you with a quote in less than a day.
