Lubbock, TX Creates Low Income Homes Using ICFs

The City of Lubbock, Texas is replacing substandard and deteriorating

low-income housing with homes constructed of insulated concrete forms (ICFs). The city’s Energy Savings Reconstruction Program is partially funded through state, federal, and private partnerships, including support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The city’s research found that the cost of the ICFs would increase an average homeowner’s monthly mortgage payment by several dollars, but that energy savings would not only offset that cost but provide a net savings of $33 per month. The ICF homes are also expected to perform better than frame houses in the face of hurricanes and tornados. Suppliers to the program to date have included American Polysteel, Eco-Block, and Caswall.