From 3D-printed Homes to Manufactured Housing, Virginia Housing’s Innovation Village Shines at the Governor’s Housing Conference
December 4, 2024Pictured above: Virginia Housing's Chris Thompson and Tammy Neale (left) and Virginia Tech's Andrew McCoy (right) with the Tvasta 3D printer that was showcased at the Innovation Village.
Virginia Housing recently partnered with the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and HousingForward Virginia to host the 2024 Virginia Governor's Housing Conference (VAGHC) in Virginia Beach. This annual event gives housing advocates, providers and policy makers an opportunity to network, learn and celebrate the progress in housing that’s happening all over Virginia. Over 1,200 people attended this year’s conference, making it the best-attended VAGHC in the event’s history.
Innovation Village Showcases Tomorrow’s Housing Solutions
One of the conference’s main events was the Virginia Housing Innovation Village. Open to everyone who attended, the Innovation Village was an interactive display of some of the leading developments and technologies in construction, manufactured housing, research and design.
One of the Innovation Village’s anchors was the Anthem Blue Ridge Duplex, the first nationally available manufactured duplex approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Conference attendees were invited to tour the home, which was built by Fleetwood Homes in Rocky Mount.
Another major Innovation Village attraction was the Tvasta 3D printer, which Virginia Tech showcased in partnership with Virginia Housing. This was made possible through Virginia Housing’s recent investment of $1.1 million in 3D-printed home equipment, research and development, training and more. Experts from both Virginia Tech and Virginia Housing were on hand at the Innovation Village to discuss and answer questions about this emerging technology and ways it can be used to develop affordable housing in the future.
Other exhibitors at the Innovation Village included the Mount Rogers Planning District Commission, iUnit Communities, project:HOMES and Community Lodgings, all recipients of Virginia Housing’s 2024 Innovation Grant Program. Friedrich, Insul-Stud, Champion Homes and the Virginia Department of Energy were also all part of iUnit’s display.
“It was great to showcase our innovation winners,” said Director of Strategic Housing Chris Thompson. “They shined, talking about everything they’re doing from highly energy-efficient modular homes to new programs and services.”
The following exhibitors were also featured at the Innovation Village: GO TEC; Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville; Viridiant; Virginia Commonwealth University; Virginia Tech; RBA Architects; and RISE and the winners of the 2024 Riverine Community Resilience Challenge.
“As the governor spoke about, we’re in a deficit of housing inventory. We have to find new ways to build, more efficient ways to build, ways to expand our thinking.”
He went on, noting that the array of perspectives and ideas that the Innovation Village participants bring to the table is exactly what’s required to tackle the challenges of both today and tomorrow.
“Virginia Housing is in a unique position in that we work with partners that do both: they deliver housing, and they also deliver housing services.”
Beyond the Innovation Village, Virginia Housing’s Next Big Investment
The excitement extended well beyond the Innovation Village, with Governor Glenn Youngkin taking the opportunity to announce the Workforce Housing Investment Program, a major new program that Virginia Housing is proud to be a part of.
Through the Workforce Housing Investment Program, funding will soon be available to build housing that’s affordable to people making between 80% and 120% of the Area Median Income and that’s sited near new or expanding businesses. The program will also place an emphasis on underserved and marginalized communities as well as first-time homebuyers and essential workers. Virginia Housing has allocated $15 million to go toward this program in fiscal year 2025.
More information on the Workforce Housing Investment Program is available here.