100 Homes in Lubbock, Texas

When the City of Lubbock was awarded money from the Federal Community Development Block Grant to demolish and reconstruct homes in certain neighborhoods, Brad Reed, Senior Housing Inspector for the Community Development Department, recognized his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rebuild homes the right way, making them more energy efficient and safer under increased incidents of extreme weather.

After studying different construction methods, Reed attended a training seminar on American PolySteel's insulating concrete form (ICF) products using STYROPOR^®expandable polystyrene (EPS) foam. He was so impressed that he returned to Lubbock and piloted the construction of the first ICF home under a new construction program called "Home Investment Partnership." After gathering and analyzing cost data over three years, the City realized the operational cost savings were so great in the ICF homes they no longer offered owners a choice—every new home would now use ICF construction.

The 100th ICF home was poured on September 12, 2007. Reed estimates the additional costs of ICFs over traditional wood framing ranges from $3,000 to $4,000 per house. That would add less than $24 per month to a 30-year mortgage at six percent interest. Since monthly energy costs for the ICF homes range from $50 to $75, compared to the $150 to $200 commonly found in non-ICF construction of similar homes, the net result is reduced operational costs.