Floating Modular Housing to Address Demand and Affordability

Abstract

Increasing population, urbanization, and desire for coastal living creates an annual demand for housing units in coastal cities around the world that is not currently being met. The United States alone needs approximately 5 million new apartments by 2030, and the problems of housing availability and affordability are greatest in the coastal cities. These are also some of the most expensive cities in which to build housing due to limited land and constraints on materials and labor. The rate that housing must be produced in coastal cities is challenged with current construction and land use practices. Globally, a few companies are producing floating housing; none appear to be focusing on permanent, large-scale floating housing. Black & Veatch proposes developing floating housing communities constructed using innovative modular approaches to provide affordable and climate resilient housing. Housing construction costs can be significantly reduced compared to traditional, land based, “stick built” construction methods. Housing built in low-cost locations on floating platforms can be moved to urban areas and moored at shore or in open water to provide thousands of new housing units at affordable costs. Although similar solutions have been successfully deployed by others, no one appears to be addressing the affordable housing need at the scale proposed here.