Kansas City company aims to build affordable homes using earthen blocks

A Kansas City business, Civic Saint, is working to make new housing more affordable and artistic by building homes out of compressed earth blocks (CEBs). The goal is to increase homeownership opportunities, especially for the Black community. Godfrey Riddle, the president and founder of Civic Saint, explained that CEBs are a mixture of sand, clay, soil, and lime or cement water. These blocks are twice as strong as common concrete units, cost-effective to produce, sustainable, fireproof, and bulletproof.

Riddle founded Civic Saint in 2020 based on his own experiences growing up in Kansas City, where he saw his parents struggle with homeownership. He believes that increasing homeownership, particularly for Black individuals, can uplift the community as a whole. Civic Saint’s homes are around 850 square feet and cost approximately $100,000 to build. They plan to sell these homes for $130,000-$140,000 each.

The first build for Civic Saint will be a tiny home in Montgall Park, with plans to continue building in neighborhoods in need of affordable housing. Riddle emphasized the importance of offering single-family homes, townhouses, and small apartment complexes to give people more options for homeownership and wealth-building opportunities. The exterior of the homes will feature art to reflect the unique character of the neighborhoods they serve.

Civic Saint has partnered with the GEM Cultural and Education Center for KC Design Week to showcase an example facade at 2001 Vine Street, demonstrating what is possible with CEBs. A public forum on April 25 will provide more information about the project, with tickets available for purchase at kcdesignweek.org.