An old man in Austin, Texas got his dream come true in a form of a 3D-printed house. The old man who previously a homeless man who struggled with heroin addiction found his forever home. “I hope I stay here until my last dying days,” he said.
The Community First Village put $18 million to build houses for the chronically homeless. The 70-year-old settled into his 400 square-foot home constructed by 3D printing. The 51-acre community has 500 homes thus far and job opportunities on-site.
It was built by Icon, an Austin-based start-up. Icon co-founder and CEO Jason Ballard said their mission to build 3-D homes in the community was a way to ‘make dignified housing accessible to everyone, everywhere.’
The materials used to build the homes are considered more resilient in disasters like hurricanes than traditionally built houses. Real estate developer, Alan Graham wanted to provide a true sense of community, rather than just simple housing for the chronically homeless.
The old man is one of the senior citizens in America who have struggled to keep a roof over their heads. Before this, he lived in an RV community. The new house is more than just a roof above his head but also ‘a sense of security’.
“It’s just a miracle to me to be living there in a house this beautiful.
“I could never have imagined from where I came from that I would ever have this beautiful place to live in,” he said.
The old man has since overcome his addiction. Due to his arthritis, he chose an open floor plan and may eventually need to use a wheelchair. The homes feature one bedroom, one bath, a full kitchen, a living room, and a large porch with sweeping sunset views.
The 70-year-old who has lived in the home since September said it ‘changed my life’.
“When I found out I’d be the first person in America to move into a 3-D-printed home, I thought it was pretty awesome. The very people I used to run away from, I’m running to. If you’ve been on both sides of the fence, you know some people just need a little encouragement and support,” he added.
Source: NYPost