802 Homes, an innovative solution to help alleviate the housing crisis through a catalog of pre-approved housing designs, has been written up in Fast Company.
Like many states in the US, Vermont is facing a severe lack of housing stock. Looking to expedite the process of approval and construction, Utile is working with the State of Vermont to design 10 different houses, informed by extensive community feedback. Because the plans are pre-approved, builders and developers can use them for free and move through permitting much faster, with the homes being built either with off-site prefab or traditional on-site construction. Currently, the designs are being piloted first in Essex Junction, Hartford, and Manchester.
While 802 Homes is a novel program, it is deeply rooted in the past. The 10 separate designs are based on traditional Vermont homes, and the idea itself recalls mid-century America, when one could pick a home out of a Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog. The Fast Company article places it alongside pre-approved plan programs currently being experimented with in South Bend, Indiana and Hawaii County on the big island.
Read more about the program on Fast Company and be on the lookout for the completed public catalog, expected to be released early next year:
