Expanding affordable housing in state’s largest city
The College of Architecture and Partners for Livable Omaha are collaborating on an innovative housing initiative to develop small, sustainable homes tailored to both older adults and first-time homebuyers, meeting a growing need in Omaha, Nebraska.
The OurStory project enables Husker students from the college’s Fabrication and Construction Team design-build studio to develop homes that fill affordability and accessibility gaps in the housing market, which hit low-income, workforce-income and senior residents especially hard. The team aims to develop scalable solutions that help Omaha and other Nebraska communities facing similar challenges.
“Our students are creating homes that address real urban challenges — aging in place, affordability and sustainability — through thoughtful architectural design,” said Jeffrey L. Day, professor of architecture and FACT studio director.
Holy Name Housing Corp. will construct the initiative’s first two homes in Omaha’s historic Benson neighborhood. The houses will sit on a divided corner lot, creating two smaller lots each with their own street frontage, access and address.
FACT students are involved at every stage, from research and community engagement to design, prototyping and pre-fabrication of select building components. The project highlights the College of Architecture’s commitment to experiential learning and meaningful community partnerships.
“Our students are learning how to work collaboratively with public, private and nonprofit partners, manage real-world constraints and view housing as a form of social infrastructure,” Day said.
Our students are creating homes that address real urban challenges — aging in place, affordability and sustainability — through thoughtful architectural design.
Jeffrey L. Day
Nico Forte, a master’s student, said he’s learned about blending affordability with smart urban design. The team is using easy-to-assemble structural insulated panels for the homes’ framework, which reduces costs, accelerates construction and offers long-term energy savings.
“These homes are realistic and revolutionary at the same time,” Forte said. “We’re meeting people where they are – whether that’s a senior looking to downsize or a young person buying their first home – all while introducing gentle density into existing neighborhoods.”
The first OurStory build is supported by a construction loan from Spark Capital’s Middle-Income Workforce Housing Fund to offset the cost of buying housing in disinvested neighborhoods via loan forgiveness options. The construction project has additional support from the Lozier Foundation, Pella Windows and Doors of Omaha and Lincoln, Sherwin Williams and Buildertrend. An architectural internship, made possible by support from AARP and American Institute of Architects, supports graduate students working on the project.