Building Innovation for Homeownership
Award Winners: Kansas

PROJECT: McAfee Homes, Wichita, Kansas

SUBMITTER: Charles McAfee, McAfee Manufacturing/JM Limited, Wichita, Kansas

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The McAfee housing initiative includes modular building technology, a program of inner-city job creation in the housing manufacturing plant, and the construction of affordable units on distressed, scattered sites in Wichita. Charles McAfee, an African American architect and entrepreneur, designed the units and manufactures them in his own factory, employing local people to build the houses and their own skills. McAfee has also developed approximately a dozen building sites, scattered through inner city neighborhoods. Houses have an average selling price of $70,000, far below the $112,000 median for new construction. The modular units are constructed in factories located not far from the development sites, and then shipped a short distance for assembly. The units include heat pumps and energy-saving appliances to keep operating costs low, along with durable, low-maintenance materials. The McAfee program not only provides affordable housing with modular technology, but also provides jobs and builds an economic base in the inner city.

PROJECT PARTICIPANTS: Charles McAfee Architects, Engineers, Program Managers, Planners, Manufacturers; American National Bank; Above and Beyond Services, Inc.; Alford Electric Company; Master Air Control, Inc.; Newton Electric.