STATEN ISLAND, NY — Staten Island is welcoming over 20 new houses in the next year. These new homes, spearheaded by Urban EcoSpaces Inc., may seem to appear overnight.
That’s because they are innovative, energy-efficient modular homes that are built in an assembly-line process, similar to car manufacturing.
“It cuts down the time to build the house substantially. In a factory, once they put the house on the production line, it takes between seven to eight days,” said Tamia Perry, co-founder and CEO of Urban Ecospaces. “In the factory, you go from station to station to station. They’ll have people who will be working on the floors, and then people will be doing the framing, and then people will be doing the roof. It’s a very fascinating process to actually see.
These factory-controlled construction projectsarrive on-site about 70% complete, meaning time at the site is reduced, and they are usually unaffected by delays like weather. It also eases the burden of new construction, such as the ones at 527 and 529 Greeley Ave., Midland Beach on neighborhoods.
“We’re not on site for a substantial amount of time. It’s a lot less disruptive to the community, because we’re not trucking in construction vehicles for months at a time,” said Perry.
The project is using revolutionary modular construction to create affordable, storm-resilient housing that arrives 70% complete and causes minimal disruption to neighborhoods.Courtesy of Tamia Perry and Urban EcoSpaces Inc.
Urban EcoSpaces Inc. is a general contracting firm that started working on Staten Island during Hurricane Sandy recovery. This contribution sparked their interest in the modular home market due to its speed and efficiency.
It is also why one of the main aspects of these new homes is that they are designed to be storm resilient. The developers selected fiber cement siding, which they said has shown durability against wind and water, and constructed the homes on raised pier foundations. Utilities and electrical systems are also being placed above the first level. This would allow floodwaters to pass underneath the home, minimizing damage.
According to the developer, these improvements have received positive feedback from local residents.
“They themselves went through the horrors of Hurricane Sandy and the houses being destroyed, and these lots have sat empty since that time,” recalled Perry. “Whenever you can improve a community by building new housing and beautifying the neighborhood I think that’s a good thing, and I think most people recognize that.”
With the support of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the firm is in the midst of converting 15 vacant lots in the Midland Beach and South Beach neighborhoods into 23 affordable homes. Three homes are already set on foundations and nearing completion, with four more in production for early 2026 delivery. Their current factory partner is Simplex Homes, which is based in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
“Across the five boroughs, HPD is tackling the housing crisis head-on with urgency and creativity,” said Matt Rauschenbach the HPD Press Secretary. “These modular homes are a perfect example of how we can build a bit more housing in every neighborhood as we work towards a New York where everyone has a safe, affordable home.”
The project is using revolutionary modular construction to create affordable, storm-resilient housing that arrives 70% complete and causes minimal disruption to neighborhoods.Courtesy of Tamia Perry and Urban EcoSpaces Inc.
The goal is to have all the projects completed by the end of 2026, but Perry expects availability to start well before total completion.
The expansive project is partly financed and overseen by the city under its affordable housing program, meaning that once completed, the units, which are still vacant, will be available only through NYC Housing Connect lottery.
Although small right now, this project has a broad impact. Perry hopes that these constructions encourage other builders to adopt modular techniques to help address the city’s growing housing crisis.
“This is just such a faster way to build and a less intrusive way to build. It’s hopeful that more builders and more developers will begin to consider this as a potential option for them when they’re trying to bring things to market more quickly,” stated Perry. “It’ll just benefit New Yorkers more because we have people who need housing today. Not in three years.”
