NEW STORY OF HOME
New Story is pioneering solutions to solve the monumental task of ending global homelessness. Homelessness is a tricky subject to engage with, but one thing is certain: action, above all else, is what is needed to remedy this international crisis. Due to the partnerships and innovations headed by New Story (a San Francisco-based non-profit)—namely ICON (an Austin-based construction technologies company) and ÉCHALE (New Story’s non-profit partner in Mexico)—the possibility is now within reach.
The lack of uniformity when defining the term “homelessness” hinders adequate comparisons when collecting figures from around the globe. “Based on national reports,” collected by YaleGlobal Online, “it’s estimated that no less than 150 million people, or about 2 percent of the world’s population [7.6 billion], are homeless. However, about 1.6 billion, more than 20 percent of the world’s population, may lack adequate housing.” By 2050, an estimated 3 billion people will be living without access to adequate shelter at this rate. Revolutionized homebuilding techniques are needed to prevent this already major problem from becoming exponential.
New Story is on a mission to tackle this massive issue, but they also recognize that the global homelessness crisis cannot be solved alone. The organization’s “Create, Prove, Share” model outlines their step-by-step methodology. Since traditional building methods will never catch up to growing shelter needs, they develop cutting-edge solutions to build homes and communities faster, better, and stronger. By listening intently to the people they serve, New Story creates communities using innovative tools and technology. When those strategies prove successful, they are shared with other non-profits and governments who are also working to end global homelessness.
It all started in 2014 when Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer Brett Hagler went on his first trip to Haiti. The dilapidated living conditions he witnessed inspired him to team up with three other passionate twenty-somethings who shared the common goal of solving homelessness around the world. New Story, their brainchild, got its big break in 2015. Y Combinator, the world’s top venture accelerator, accepted New Story as one of 106 startups that made the cut that year (7,000 applied, resulting in a program acceptance rate of 1.5 percent. To put that into perspective, Harvard’s acceptance rate is 5.9 percent).
During New Story’s first six months, they were able to fund only 16 homes. Y Combinator challenged the fledgling organization (one of the first non-profits ever accepted into their program) to build 100 homes within 100 days. Incredibly, they managed to produce 113 homes that summer, establishing their first-ever community. Within four years, New Story expanded from Haiti to El Salvador, Bolivia, and Mexico where they have built 16 transformative communities, containing 2,700 homes, impacting 15,000 people.
That’s a big number, but not big enough for New Story, which has always been about going above and beyond to achieve a greater good. So, in 2017, they began working on a secret project in conjunction with ICON: building the world’s first 3D home printer, specifically designed to work 1) where housing is needed most and 2) under less-than-ideal conditions. Dubbed the Vulcan, the first printed home was unveiled at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. The 350-square-foot home, printed over approximately 48 hours across several days in March of 2018, served as a proof-of-concept and demonstrated machine capability. There was absolutely no doubt that the prototype was impressive, though the technology needed further refinement.
Eventually, New Story was able to create the Vulcan II, a gantry-style printer on rails that extrudes a proprietary cementitious-based material, dubbed “Lavacrete,” layer by layer. It is designed to work under constraints commonly found in rural areas, such as power unpredictability, excessive rainfall, and flooding on construction sites. All home finishes are completed using traditional construction techniques. As the first printer of its kind, Vulcan II will begin tackling housing shortages for vulnerable populations starting in the remote town of Tabasco, Mexico. After approximately a year and a half of planning, New Story and ICON completed the first two printed homes on-site of the first planned printed community, which will include 50 3D printed homes.
The rising issue of homelessness is evident around the world, though its presence in the United States continues to be more difficult to deny. “One recent study, for example,” recounts YaleGlobal Online, “found that nowhere in the United States can someone who works 40 hours a week at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour afford a one-bedroom apartment at fair market rent. To afford a one-bedroom apartment at the average fair market rate without paying more than 30 percent of one’s income, a person must earn at least $16.35 an hour,” resulting in an average monthly income of $2,616.00. The families who will live in the Tabasco, Mexico homes built by New Story and ICON survive on a mere $76.50 a month.
Vulcan II’s 3D printed homes are built in around 24 hours’ time, also over the course of several days. They feature two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Using New Story's Lean Participatory Design (LPD) process, the homes are co-designed with feedback from the families who will live in them. This way, the communities are planned to complement the lifestyle of those living within them, and residents feel more invested in their home and neighborhood. Through the LPD process, it was discovered that open green spaces were of utmost importance for 95 percent of the families who would live there, with 1 in 5 ranking it their top priority. Additionally, 99 percent of families preferred to have flat roofs to enable easier future additions and customizations—evidence of intent to settle indefinitely there and improve property value.
To further encourage families to stay in the homes long-term and foster pride of residence, they receive a zero-interest, no-profit mortgage at a manageable rate of 400 pesos (the equivalent of approximately $18.70) per month, which lasts for seven years. The additional home cost is considered a subsidy from New Story. Mortgage funds go into a community investment fund rather than returning to New Story or ÉCHALE, their partner in Mexico. Over time, the families can vote on how the funds may be used. Families who are financially invested in their homes are likely to take better care of their community and provide more meaningful feedback during the design planning process.
There is a multiplying factor associated with home stability that New Story is keen to tap into. “It took a long time for mobile devices to penetrate Africa because companies focused on more lucrative markets. But look at the impact cell phones had in transforming entire economies and livelihoods on the Continent,” professes Alexandria Lafci, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer of New Story. “Instead of waiting for profit motivation to bring construction advances to the Global South, we are fast-tracking innovations like 3D home printing that can be a powerful tool toward ending homelessness.” With humanity prioritized over profit margins, millions, even billions, of people can escape survival-mode living
Funding for the non-profit comprises a two-tier system with a transparency-first platform. The “100% Promise” allows public donors to be completely confident in how their funds are used—every penny donated is used exclusively for homebuilding costs. This group of donors is called “The Neighborhood,” while those who support New Story’s operational costs are referred to as “The Builders.” This model allows New Story donors to know exactly where their investment is going and who it is specifically benefitin
Soon, New Story’s “transparency dashboards” will also show donors exactly where and when Rent Relief funds are deployed. Once donations are distributed, New Story sends donors more information about the specific family their money supports. New Story’s objective is ambitious, arguably impossible. Yet they have sought the support, developed the tools, and leveraged the appropriate resources to make the impossible inevitably possible—and possibility is, above all else, hope. Everyone can provide hope and help end survival-mode living. Visit www.newstorycharity.org/the-neighborhood to give the gift of home.
Managing Editor Lauren Barisic
Photos courtesy of New Story
