SBCA Announced as Co-Presenter for the 2024 Innovative Housing Showcase
Originally Published by: SBCA Magazine — May 10, 2024
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The Structural Building Components Association (SBCA) is pleased to announce its return to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for the Innovative Housing Showcase (IHS), this year as both an exhibitor and a co-presenter of the event. SBCA is excited to partner with the event’s host, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), in this major effort to bring awareness to the various innovative housing solutions. SBCA will also be co-presenting with the International Code Council (ICC), the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), and the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC).
As an exhibitor of IHS, the SBCA and the National Framers Council (NFC) plan to construct a two-story, 2,400 square foot house on the National Mall in less than eight hours. 84 Lumber, one of SBCA’s largest national members, will be providing all the structural framing elements, windows, and doors, as well as the framing crews. This three-day event will highlight the reduced jobsite waste production and improved cycle times possible with today’s offsite manufactured products, including floor truss panels, roof truss panels, and wall panels.
“Collaborating with HUD in its Innovative Housing Showcase as a co-presenter is a great opportunity for SBCA to feature the benefits of structural building components and how it can positively impact the greater construction industry,” says Jeff Taake, SBCA President. “We are excited to be a part of this effort.”
HUD’s Innovative Housing Showcase will be held from Friday, June 7—Sunday, June 9. Last year’s event brought in more than 4,000 people, including policymakers, housing industry representatives, media, builders, and the general public. It provided an opportunity for a wider audience to experience first-hand the innovative and affordable housing designs and technologies that have the potential to increase the nation’s housing supply, efficiency, and resiliency, while also reducing the cost of construction and housing expenses for owners and/or renters.
After the event concludes, the 84 Lumber-provided framing crew will return to the National Mall and disassemble the structure, load it onto trucks, and transport it to a prepared jobsite in Waynesboro, VA. Donated to Habitat for Humanity, the structure will become two single-family houses. “In our area, 40% of all households are below the local household survival budget. Finding affordable housing is a huge challenge,” says Charlie Frankfort, Board Chairman of Habitat for Humanity-Waynesboro. “We are thrilled to be working with SBCA and NFC again this year to provide two more homes for families in need.”
“As this is SBCA and NFC’s third year of participating in HUD’s Innovative Housing Showcase, we definitely see the benefit of being part of this great effort,” says Jess Lohse, SBCA’s Executive Director. “That’s why this year we are glad to have the opportunity to co-present this event with HUD and other housing and building organizations to provide information and knowledge of all the benefits and efficiencies components, such as trusses and wall panels, bring to the housing industry.”