Location: Minnesota, United States

The Lower Sioux Indian Community Hemp Program and Housing Project is a new tribally-led initiative that builds affordable housing and repairs existing homes with hempcrete, a building material made from industrial hemp and limestone.

Hempcrete homes are durable, highly fire-resistant, quick to build, carbon negative, and zero waste. Such homes are also much cheaper to heat and cool, given hempcrete’s very high thermal mass.[1]

The Hempcrete Program grows and processes hemp, trains community members in construction, and builds and repairs homes on the reservation. This model keeps costs low, avoids reliance on external contractors, creates jobs, and generates revenue for the community.

By selling hemp construction products and offering hempcrete consulting services, the organization generates income that it uses to fund its programs.

It has completed six homes since 2023, including a duplex completed in 21 days and a four-bedroom home completed in 6 weeks, and are now building a school. Early results show a 70% reduction in heating costs with homes made compared to traditional materials.

Construction of the homes has also been much less expensive than traditional construction. For example, a duplex was completed at a cost of $171 per square foot, well below the regional average of $250–$340 per square foot for conventional housing.[2]

Learn more: https://lowersioux.com/hemp-program-and-housing-project/

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