Affordable and Sustainable Housing in the United States: Disruptive Strategies to Reduce Construction Costs for Social Housing

Affordable housing remains one of the greatest challenges in the United States, where rising construction costs, land scarcity, and environmental concerns converge to exacerbate the housing crisis. This article explores disruptive strategies for delivering affordable yet sustainable housing solutions, combining low-carbon construction technologies, circular economy principles, and innovative financing models. Drawing from international experiences in Europe, Latin America, and Asia, the study identifies scalable practices adaptable to the U.S. context, including modular construction, advanced timber technologies, reuse of construction and demolition waste (C&DW), and energy-efficient design. A hybrid methodology—comprising a systematic literature review, comparative policy analysis, and conceptual modeling—is employed to assess the potential of these solutions. The results suggest that modular prefabrication could reduce construction costs by 20–30%, while cross-laminated timber (CLT) and recycled aggregates offer reductions in embodied carbon of up to 40%. The study argues that a paradigm shift is required: housing affordability should not be seen as incompatible with environmental sustainability. Instead, integrated socio-technical solutions can reduce costs, accelerate construction timelines, and enhance resilience in low-income communities. This article contributes by proposing a multi-dimensional framework for affordable housing that combines technological, social, and policy innovations—creating pathways for scaling sustainable housing in the U.S. and globally.