Andersen Windows and Doors Logo
Andersen Windows and Doors Logo
frame maker logo
As seen in
Home About The Frame Maker Empowering Communities Focus on Affordable Housing

Windows on Display in Nation’s Capital Put Focus on Affordable Housing

white ranch style home with porch

As part of an innovative housing showcase highlighting affordable housing, Andersen® windows were on display this summer on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

In collaboration with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), a concept home categorized as an accessory dwelling unit, aimed to lead a national dialogue on workforce and federal disaster housing policies.

TalkAboutHousing.com is a platform dedicated to exploring a wide range of housing issues including disaster housing policy, workforce housing shortages, and the legacy of housing segregation.

The team behind the tiny house with Andersen windows is Cypress Community Development Corp., a not-for-profit housing development company specializing in creating innovative solutions for disaster recovery and workforce housing. Their work focuses on the development of Missing Middle Housing types, such as cottages, duplexes, townhomes, multiplexes, and accessory dwelling units in Opportunity Zones following natural disasters.

Helping the Most Vulnerable Amidst Natural Disasters

Cypress developed more than 460 Katrina Cottages in Louisiana through FEMA funding, as well as homes in the Florida Keys following Hurricane Irma and in Sonoma County, California, following the 2017 wildfires. The non-profit builder is currently working in Panama City, Florida, rebuilding from Hurricane Michael; in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, rebuilding from recent floods; and on the Island of Barbuda in partnership with the Prince’s Foundation.

“Much as the Katrina Cottage garnered national media acclaim in 2006, we hope this concept home will spark a much-needed discussion surrounding the role of accessory dwelling units as a disaster response strategy as well as an affordable housing solution,” said Marianne Cusato, designer of the Katrina Cottage and partner at Cypress Community Development Corp.

“We are overjoyed by the response and support to date,” Cusato continued, “A special thanks to all who have engaged in this critical dialogue about housing affordability. This concept home would not have been possible without a research grant from the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture, generous support from Miller & Long DC, Inc. and the Derbyshire Group, with product donations from Andersen Windows, BASF, Carlisle, HandiFoam, Hempitecture, Mactac, Mitsubishi Electric, Sashco, SIGA, Valspar, and WindsorOne.”

View more of the building of the home in this photo gallery.

Explore key issues impacting communities nationwide on TalkAboutHousing.com.

Posted: August 2, 2023