TAMPA, Fla. — A first-of-its-kind affordable housing project is now underway in East Tampa.
It’s using cutting-edge technology instead of hammers and nails to tackle one of Florida’s biggest challenges.
Good Morning Tampa Bay anchor Andrew Kinsey got a look at the work that is being done with a printer.
“Everything is the same, as far as traditional construction, other than, instead of putting up block, we're building, we're printing the actual exterior walls,” said Will Crawford with the Corporation to Develop Communities (CDC) of Tampa.
The steady hum of a robotic arm is building a home, layer by layer.
“There's a bathroom here, another bathroom here. The living room area is here, and there's the primary bedroom,” said Crawford.
“So, a three-bedroom home?” asked Kinsey
“Yeah, three-bedroom, two bath, and garage,” said Crawford.
This home on Lurline Circle is rising where another once stood. The old property burned down, and the new one is now being rebuilt in a new way.
“We bought the lot and decided that we would 3-D print the home that we were putting back to replace it,” said Vanessa McCleary with CDC of Tampa.
The 3D build is the first in Hillsborough County and is part of a bigger project, led by the CDC of Tampa, aimed at bringing affordable homes to the area.
Eighteen of them are being built a few blocks away on Knoll Pine Way, and four of them are using 3D printing technology. Concrete is printed layer by layer using a digital blueprint, forming walls designed to be stronger and more efficient.
“This home will provide a family with a beautiful, affordable place to live, where they're not going to have to worry about the rising costs. Because they'll be in home ownership, stabilizing their t housing cost. It'll also be more energy efficient, so they don't have to worry about the TECO bills,” said McCleary.
Developers say, in addition to bringing costs down, the building method also ensures the homes can better withstand Florida’s toughest conditions.
“Will this also make it a little quicker to turn our homes around?” asked Kinsey.
“It will, it will, because we have the ability to print in the warehouse. So, we could do this as modular. This one we're doing everything on site, but before we even get a permit, we can be in a warehouse, and we can have half the walls already printed for each home,” said Crawford.
This work comes at a time when affordable housing is harder to find than ever.
“I love Tampa. It's a great place to live. We have so much going for us, but what we do not have going for us is affordable housing,” said McCleary.
In Hillsborough County alone, thousands of affordable units are still needed as rising costs push families further from the communities they work in.
“If your employees can't find an affordable place to live, they're not going to be your employees much longer. We're seeing restaurants closing. We're seeing businesses closing. Why? Because the workforce isn't here. It's moving out of the area,” said McCleary.
That’s why Hillsborough County leaders are backing projects like this, donating land and millions in funding to help make it possible. Building more than just homes, but a stable framework for the families who will soon live here.
This development is just one piece of a larger pipeline of more than 150 affordable housing units planned across the Tampa area, including another project in Seffner aimed at housing disabled veterans.
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