STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (PIX11) — The city is facing a worsening housing crisis, but on Staten Island, a promising solution is taking shape.
Urban EcoSpaces Inc. showcased a series of innovative modular homes on Wednesday that are redefining affordable housing by combining speed, resilience, and quality.
With funding from the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, 15 vacant lots in the Midland Beach and South Beach neighborhoods are being developed into 23 affordable homes, many nearing completion.
These homes are not built entirely onsite like traditional housing. Instead, nearly 70% of each house is constructed in factories, then transported and installed on foundations, dramatically cutting construction time and disturbances to the community.
Urban Eco Spaces CEO Tamia Perry, whose team gained experience rebuilding homes after Hurricane Sandy, says modular construction amazed them with its efficiency. “We became fascinated by the process, the speed, the efficiency, the reduced impact on the community,” Perry said.
The homes feature elevated foundations and reinforced materials designed to withstand storms like Sandy, making them resilient for the future.
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Perry explained that these modular homes can be customized like any other, saying, “Anything that you could want in a home can be in a home. You will never be able to tell that it’s modular.”
This construction method offers hope for the city that has been struggling to deliver affordable housing quickly. Perry highlighted the advantage: “This method of building just lets developers get housing to market way sooner than if we were doing traditional construction.”
The project on Staten Island is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, providing much-needed housing near the beach for families at an affordable price, all while making efficient use of modern building techniques.
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