Building for Access: Civic Saint and Compressed Earth Blocks

In 2020, Godfrey Riddle founded Civic Saint, a Kansas City business dedicated to creating affordable and artful housing options for the community. As someone who grew up in the city and experienced his parents’ struggles with homeownership, he is passionate about making sure everyone has access to this basic human need.

Civic Saint plans to build homes using compressed earth blocks (CEBs), which are made of a mix of sand, clay, soil, lime or cement water. These blocks offer several benefits such as strength, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability. By building homes with CEBs, Civic Saint aims to increase homeownership opportunities, particularly for the Black community.

The homes built by Civic Saint are estimated to cost around $100,000 to build 850 square feet and will be sold for $130,000-$140,000. The first project for Civic Saint will be a tiny home in Montgall Park with future plans to expand and build in other neighborhoods that need affordable housing options.

Civic Saint believes that offering a variety of housing options such as single-family homes, townhouses and small apartment complexes is essential in giving people more opportunities to own property and build wealth. Additionally, they plan to incorporate art into the design of the homes to reflect the unique character of each neighborhood.

On April 25th during KC Design Week, Civic Saint will partner with GEM Cultural and Education Center to showcase an example facade of homes built with CEBs at a public forum held at kcdesignweek.org Tickets can be purchased online at kcdesignweek.org