Ask HN: What startups are innovating in affordable housing?
I think this is a huge problem – particularly in the UK – and was wondering whether there are any innovative building companies disrupting the housing market?
I don't think they are outright disrupting the market. But they are offering a new-ish alternative.
Housing is expensive to produce. Trying to produce "affordable" housing has inherent problems because there is somewhat direct conflict between your product goal and your profit motive. So I think if you want to see real disruption in the housing industry, it will probably be packaged differently than "affordable" housing. That tends to be code for "cheap piece of crap aimed at helping poor people." I don't think that is likely to be a strong position from which to disrupt a market. Early adopters of new stuff tend to be well off. If you want to bring down housing costs and also appeal to the upper class, you have to market it some other way.
But not a ton of companies are tackling it. Apparently the zoning issues are non-trivial.