I have read the articles concerning the need for affordable housing. The stumbling blocks seem to be current regulations and permitting processes as well as land-use issues.

It is time to look for simpler solutions, like bringing 3D printing industry technology to Hawaii.

The shell of a two- to three-bedroom house could be 3D-printed in about three hours or less. This will drastically reduce the cost of construction per home as well as increase the inventory of homes much faster.

It will not hurt the union trades, since they will still be working. But they will be using a much-improved construction technique to produce the homes at a faster rate. In fact, this will help the union workers actually afford to purchase a home themselves, since many fall into the same category as most people in Hawaii.

This will work as long as the government does not spend $20 million and waste 10 years doing a study to see if this idea will work. They should consider revising existing building codes to accommodate the use of 3D printing.

Ken Takeya

Kailua

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