Hemp spells affordable housing for Native American community

The plant-based building material — a mix of hemp hurd, lime and water — is non-toxic, mold-resistant, biodegradable and highly energy efficient.

Over the past two years, a small team of four tribal members has built homes using hempcrete — laying the foundation for a program that not only provides shelter but could spark housing affordability initiatives in indigenous and underserved communities nationwide.

Community-driven vision

“I guess we started growing hemp in 2016, and there was always an end goal to build homes using hemp,” said Danny Desjarlais, industrial hemp construction project manager for the Lower Sioux Indian Community. “Everything has been a long time in the making here, and a lot of people have put the work in to make it happen.”

That…