Bloomberg reported that the co-founder of modular home manufacturer Samara plans to donate $15 million to an initiative that aims to provide prefabricated homes to victims of the wildfires that struck Los Angeles. The donation will come from Joe Gebbia, who also co-founded Airbnb and serves as a board member of Tesla.
Samara will reportedly handle installation and permitting, while Steadfast LA, a non-profit organization led by businessman Rick Caruso, will help coordinate the effort. The project expects to fund 100% of the factory-made houses, which will include installation costs, and initially distribute the homes to low-income residents.
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UCLA estimated that, as of February 4, the wildfires had destroyed over 16,000 homes and commercial structures, causing property and capital losses that range between $95 billion and $164 billion.
Samara describes its homes as an “accessory dwelling unit” (ADU) designed for backyards and offers a product range that features 420-square-foot studios to two-bedroom units of 950 square feet. Prices vary from $147,000 to $261,000, plus installation.
According to the startup, the configuration-to-completion process takes about seven months, including site visits, permit preparation, site preparation, transportation, craning the units, connecting to the grid and setting up the solar system.
Bloomberg cited data from the California Homebuilding Foundation that indicates a growing popularity for accessory dwelling units in California. According to the foundation, property owners in Los Angeles County pulled more than 4,000 building permits for ADUs last year.
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