$3.3 Million to Support Innovative 3D Printed Housing Solution
BANGOR, Maine (January 24, 2023) – Penquis is receiving $3.3 million to support a project that may transform housing construction methods in Maine and across the nation while addressing the state’s housing crisis.
“Our state is facing a housing crisis that will take ingenuity and creative thinking to solve. Thankfully, that’s exactly what we’re seeing in this collaborative partnership with Penquis, the University of Maine and MaineHousing. By scaling up UMaine’s pioneering BioHome3D technology for use in the greater Bangor area, we are taking a positive step forward in building more housing and in supporting our economy,” says Gov. Janet Mills. “I am proud to see our support through the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan and our most recent budget continue to yield progress, and I look forward to seeing how innovation like this can help us deliver safe places for Maine people to live. I thank Penquis, the University of Maine and MaineHousing for their collaboration, our congressional delegation for their work to provide funding, and the KeyBank Foundation for its generous support.”
“New solutions are needed to address the housing affordability crisis in Maine,” says Jason Bird, director of housing development for Penquis, noting that Maine has an estimated shortage of 20,000 to 25,000 affordable rental units. “One of the greatest challenges is the cost and slow pace of housing construction. This project is investigating ways to create units more quickly and inexpensively, as well as more sustainably.”
The project, using UMaine’s BioHome3D technology, is a collaborative effort involving Penquis, the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center and MaineHousing. New materials and methods developed by the University of Maine will be used to create a first-in-the-nation bio-based 3D-printed neighborhood. The neighborhood will be located in the Greater Bangor area and consist of nine homes that will provide housing for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
