‘Green’ house could set example

By Elizabeth Ahlin, WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

In the midst of a monstrous U.S. oil spill and a precarious national economic recovery, the people of Corning, Iowa, aren’t the only ones who see that energy and personal income are severely limited resources.

But with help from Iowa State University and other groups, the city and its citizens are poised to become a new face of green, sustainable and affordable housing.
“We’ve always thought of ourselves as a progressive community,” said Corning Mayor Guy Brace.

Corning will soon be home to the “Iowa House.” The one-story, 1,080-square-foot, two-bedroom home is designed to be both energy-efficient and affordable — a combination that is seldom achievable in rural areas that have many older homes.
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It’s a problem in Corning, where the city has struggled to facilitate affordable housing while also dealing with the dilapidated homes. This project has provided help on both fronts.
“It’s a great program for the community,” Brace said. “It’s allowing us to create some new housing and demolish some of our blighted structures.”

The house’s energy-efficiency will come from its design. Its position will take advantage of sunlight. Its landscaping will preserve water, and its construction will be airtight.
If successful, the house could serve as a prototype for green and affordable buildings across Iowa and elsewhere.

That’s something that Steve Adams of the Iowa Finance Authority would like to see.
“Quite frankly, we’re still living within the oxymoron of affordable housing,” he said. “How do we really have Americans live that dream of homeownership when it really is not affordable to a lot of Iowans?”

The house is the result of cooperation by, among others, Adams’ group, design and architecture students from Iowa State University, the City of Corning, the Iowa Department of Economic Development, the Southwest Iowa Coalition and the Southern Iowa Coalition of Governments. Read More.