The National House Project and The Alex House Project
The National House Project is an initiative that offers support and expertise to local authorities to help young people leave care and establish themselves as independent adults. This project focuses on relationship-based practice to enable young people to build their own homes and develop the skills needed to live on their own. The House Project provides a structured environment in which young people can develop trusting relationships with trusted adults.
The Black House Project has been in progress for six years. This self-built community, which consists of a single structure and a small community, is a site for interdisciplinary research that explores questions about making in a time of crisis and environmental crisis. The site is located on a 2-acre tidal wetlands near Westbrook Harbor. The Patchogue River flows from Westbrook and then joins with the Menunketesuck River in the marshlands west of the town’s harbor. The combined streams then flow into Long Island Sound. The Patchogue River gets its name from the Eastern Algonquian language.
The SECCA open competition invited 440 entries from six countries and drew 440 participants from six countries. The chosen designs were evaluated by the editorial board of Merriam-Webster. The selected designs were then used as examples for a multi-year design initiative aimed at creating sustainable low-income housing.
The crew of This Old House went beyond the confines of Massachusetts to explore different home renovation projects. In Tampa, Florida, the team took on a concrete-block tract house. They also tackled several home improvement projects in Boston, including an attic makeover, basement remodeling, and greenhouse addition. In Westwood, Massachusetts, the team renovated a historic post-and-beam cottage into condominiums.
Kaleshia Sostre, a 28-year-old mother of three, had her first child at age 19. She was nervous about being judged as a young parent, and worried about providing a stable home for her child. Fortunately, she stumbled upon the Alex House Project, a nonprofit organization that supports young, low-income black and brown parents.
Several episodes of This Old House have featured project houses. One of the most notable episodes featured the Dorchester House, a black community center in South Atlanta. The home had once been owned by the area’s first postmaster. Jonathan and Kysha then restored it for their own family, and used it as a homeschool for their children. The season will premiere on March 26, 2020.
Another New York City housing project, the Manhattan Community Project, will bring 200 new supportive housing and deeply affordable housing units to the neighborhood. The project is being overseen by the Manhattan Community Board and includes space for a health care facility on the first floor. However, it is unclear whether medical care providers will renew their leases in the new building.
