Houses aren’t cheap. And the ones that are, have a location usually on the bad side of town. What if a house could be built for a lot less – like a whole lot less. What if a house could be built for $1,000? Sound impossible? Well, MIT has created an 800 square foot house in China for less than $6,000 US money. That house has served as the prototype for a house that they want to design for $1,000.

The prototype house in called “Pinwheel House”. It can withstand an 8.0 hurricane. There are many skeptics of the $1,000 house concept. They say that house will not be equipped with the necessary items to give someone a healthy lifestyle. Apparently the house has no capacity for hot water. many believe that it is a good idea to build lower cost houses, but that this is going a little too far.

The Pinwheel House is constructed from hollow brick walls, reinforced with steel bars and bamboo. The whole idea of the house is to provide a very low cost house. A $1,000 house seems a little bit of a stretch, but the idea of pushing the limits to create this house initiates brainstorming and creation of new ways of looking at doing the same old tasks. The $6,000 prototype house was located in a remote location which added to the cost of building.

The MIT students involved in the project believe that this type of low cost housing can help a great number of people. The low-cost homes would be a great help to heavily populated poor areas and displaced families from catastrophic events. The $1,000 house project is currently looking for sponsors for continue.