Texas newspaper puzzle writer finds new calling: Building homes for the poor from recycled stuff

A former writer of BrainSqueeze and CryptoGrapple puzzles for the Huntsville Item in Texas has found success in a new career building homes for the poor out of recyled materials. Dan Phillips, owner of Phoenix Commotion, began building the recycled homes in 1997 and has finished 14 homes in Huntsville, reports Kate Murphy of The New York Times. (Times photo by Michael Stravato)

Phillips has built roofs from used license plates and picture frames, windows from crystal platters, and floors from wine corks. As long the material allows him to meet building codes, Phillips will use it, Murphy reports. Each home is designated for a low-income family that helps with construction, much like Habitat for Humanity, but even with monthly payments between $99 and $300, Murphy reports that half the original residents have lost the homes to foreclosure. "You can put someone in a new home, but you can’t give them a new mindset," Phillips said.

Huntsville officials worked with Phillips to create a recycled-materials wharehouse where construction companies could donate leftover items for no charge and a tax deduction. Murphy reports officials in several other Texas towns have asked Phillips how to build similar warehouses. Phoenix Commotion is not a non-profit; Phillips tells Murphy that he hopes to prove there is money to be made in low-income housing construction. (Read more)

The Item first reported Phillips' switch from puzzle-builder to home-builder in November. “My fondest dream is that our low-income housing project would be replicated around the country, and we’re getting there,” Phillips told reporter Kristin Edwards. “A group in Houston is already starting an initiative modeled after this one in Huntsville, and there are also initiatives developing in Georgia and Oklahoma.” (Read more)