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Northport Community Preservation and Restoration: Reclaiming Waste, Restoring Hope

“Crisis is not too harsh a word to describe the problem of inadequate housing here at home,” says Mark Harding, president of Northport Community Preservation and Restoration (NCPR), located in Stevens County, Washington. Inadequate housing and waste stockpiling are two critical problems facing members of the Northport community. Thanks to NCPR’s ingenuity coupled with a $21,000 grant from Innovia, those problems are being addressed through one creative solution: hybrid huts. Constructed from “fibrecrete,” an insulative composite of reclaimed fiber, glass, tires and plastics, these huts will offer short-term housing options for those experiencing homelessness, while also making a dent in Northport’s waste production.

Beyond meeting immediate needs, NCPR hopes the hybrid hut project will also improve quality of life in the long term for Northport residents. NCPR plans to operate a “Redemption Center” that offers locals a convenient place to dispose of waste that can be processed into “fibrecrete.” NCPR also plans to involve those eligible for hybrid hut housing in the manufacturing process, equipping them with transferable skills for future employment.

“We believe it is vital to provide affordable housing that is also environmentally sound,” Harding says. “When someone has a safe place to call home, it broadens their options and expands their opportunities.”

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