Vermont tackles housing crisis with quick-build 'Lego block' homes

A New England state is taking steps to address its housing crisis with innovative "Lego block" homes that can be constructed in just four days. Typically, building a house on-site requires a large crew and can take between nine to 13 months, especially in Vermont's harsh winters.

Huntington Homes, located in East Montpelier, Vermont, constructs these modular homes using an assembly-line process within a 100,000-square-foot factory. The modules are then transported by truck and assembled on-site using a crane. Co-owner Jason Webster explained to VT Digger, "We can build a whole house in 12 eight-hour shifts—so, 96 hours."

The company produces around 70 homes annually. In comparison, only 2,000 homes were built across the entire state of Vermont in 2023 according to data from the Department of Housing and Community Development. This figure represents just one-quarter of what is needed to maintain affordable housing prices for residents.

Mass-produced homes offer a potential solution to the housing shortage by providing cost-effective options that can be built quickly. These include modular, manufactured, tiny, and 3D-printed homes alongside Huntington's Lego block units. Indoor construction eliminates weather-related delays and addresses the nationwide shortage of skilled on-site construction labor.

Despite their advantages, mass-produced homes are less common in the U.S., where buyers often prefer custom-built houses with more design choices. Huntington Homes offers various options ranging from pre-packaged TruHomes with limited floor plans to Stock Homes with more choices and Custom Homes at higher costs.

The Nullhegan model is priced at $188 per square foot—nearly half the median home price in Montpelier—and includes two bedrooms and one bathroom within 1,288 square feet of living space. However, this price does not cover land costs.

Huntington Homes emphasizes energy efficiency with features like wood floors and ceiling planks along with optional solar panels for off-grid living. Bruce Ailion from Re/Max Town and Country noted that factory-built houses appear indistinguishable from traditional stick-built homes: "If I were a seller I would feel no need to disclose a home was factory-built versus stick-built."

Vermont hopes these mass-produced homes will alleviate its housing crisis by enabling developers like Summit Properties to purchase units for mixed-income developments such as those planned for Middlebury. Summit COO Zeke Davisson expects savings up to 10% which will benefit buyers directly.

However there are concerns about how well factories withstand economic downturns like the one experienced during the 2008 housing bust when production at Huntington Homes halved compared to pre-crisis levels.

Resale value remains uncertain; some buyers may prefer traditionally built properties despite no evidence suggesting slower appreciation rates for assembly-line constructions according Cara Ameer—a licensed agent based out California Florida—or Martin Orefice CEO Rent To Own Labs who argues manufactured houses meet demand among first-time homeowners seeking smaller residences quickly commanding competitive prices upon entering secondary markets

For now though states facing acute shortages similar those seen throughout much New England view innovative solutions such as Lego block models essential meeting growing needs amid ongoing challenges posed limited availability suitable accommodations across region