The lack of affordable housing options is a pressing issue faced by many Americans. The Equitable Technologies for Housing Innovation Center (ETHIC) aims to be a technological engine for shaping innovative products, policies and people that provide affordable housing options for populations who need it most in Texas and beyond.
The research objectives of ETHIC are three-fold: (1) gaining a better understanding of the spatial patterns that affect the lack of affordable housing options to improve planning, development, and resilience of affordable housing infrastructure, (2) developing targeted programs to create a new industrialized construction ecosystem, and (3) increasing supply chain resilience through a circular economy. ETHIC is uniquely focused on technology’s role in supporting the stated affordable housing objectives to demonstrate and develop viable de-risked solutions for the industry.
Thrust 1: Artificial Intelligent Systems for Housing Infrastructure Assessment
This research thrust aims to understand how AI systems can support new policies and funding allocation by identifying and improving the lack of affordable housing access faced by many Americans. Specifically, a new digital twin platform enriched with new data processing algorithms will be developed to help predict and simulate approaches to provide more access to affordable housing options.
Thrust 2: Industrialization Technologies and Workforce Development
This research thrust aims to understand how policies can support new manufacturing innovations required to increase affordable housing supply options and workforce development. Impactful technologies and approaches such as prefabrication, modularization, mechanization, automation, robotics, and mixed reality will be incorporated into a new industrialization program for mass-produced affordable housing supply.
Focus 3: Increasing Supply Chain Resilience through a Circular Economy
This research thrust aims to understand how supply chain resilience can be addressed within the housing supply chain. Specifically, methods will be developed to target resource recovery, remanufacturing and reuse of building materials. Keeping materials “in the loop” longer promotes resilience by creating more options to support and strengthen the feedstock of the housing industry with the potential to drive down material costs.
