A proposed neighborhood of nine 3D-printed homes for homeless individuals in the Greater Bangor area is gaining traction due to the University of Maine's reciept of Congressional funds for the project.

Fiscal year 2024 appropriations legislation funds granted to UMaine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) allows ASCC to proceed with Maine's first housing development constructed from wood sawmill waste. The project, in partnership with Penquis, could serve as a model for other communities seeking to address homelessness, according to Sen. Susan Collin's office, in a news release. The homes will be designed to withstand Maine winters, as the 600-square-foot prototype on UMaine’s campus in Orono has done since it was unveiled in 2022.

“This first-of-its-kind neighborhood is an exciting next step for UMaine’s BioHome3D technology and builds on years of groundbreaking research,” said Senator Collins. “I have long been proud to support the pioneering work of Dr. Habib Dagher and his team at the Advanced Structures and Composites Center, including by securing funding for its advanced manufacturing capabilities and for this project. By transforming recycled forest products into durable, energy-efficient homes, this innovative technology could help address our housing shortage, strengthen Maine’s forest products industry, and create new jobs across our state.” 

Senator Collins has supported the ASCC since the beginning of her Senate service, and her first official visit as a senator in 1997 was to Dr. Habib Dagher’s wood composites laboratory. In 2019, she helped establish a partnership between UMaine and Oak Ridge National Laboratory focused on large-scale 3D printing with forest materials. She then secured $35 million in fiscal year 2022 appropriations legislation to support the construction and advanced manufacturing capabilities of the ASCC’s Factory of the Future. In fiscal year 2023, she secured an additional $33 million to expand the facility, including the addition of a second manufacturing bay focused on developing 3D-printed affordable housing. In fiscal year 2024, she secured $4 million specifically to advance the production and commercialization of BioHome3D technology. 

In April 2024, the ASCC unveiled the world’s largest polymer 3D printer, which is four times larger than its previous record-setting printer. The printer allows UMaine to accelerate and expand its research into applications including affordable housing, national defense, and bridge construction.