Close up of a 3D printer nozzle pouring concrete. PHOTO: ICON
Can innovation truly deliver affordable housing to those who need it most?
Updated
November 27, 2025 3:26 PM
Close up of a 3D printer nozzle pouring concrete. PHOTO: ICON
The affordable housing crisis has become one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Across the globe, millions of people are struggling to secure a roof over their heads. In cities like San Francisco, housing prices are so high that even middle-income families find themselves shut out of the market.
The root of this crisis lies in a persistent imbalance: the supply of housing has failed to keep pace with growing demand. Factors such as high construction costs, bureaucratic hurdles, and limited available land in urban areas have made it increasingly difficult to build enough homes quickly and affordably. The result is a market where housing remains inaccessible to millions, even as the need becomes more urgent.
Technology is now stepping in to address these challenges in ways that were unimaginable just a decade ago. From streamlining construction processes to introducing new financing models and data-driven tools, tech innovations are rethinking how homes are built, financed, and accessed. But while these advancements offer hope, they also raise important questions: can they truly address the root causes of the housing crisis, or are they simply patching up a fractured system?
The housing crisis begins with supply shortage: we simply aren’t building enough homes. Traditional construction methods are expensive, slow, and reliant on labor that is increasingly hard to find. This is where technology is making its most significant impact. Startups likeICON and Veev are leading the charge, using cutting-edge solutions to make housing more efficient and affordable.
ICON, for instance, uses 3D printing to build homes faster and at a lower cost. By printing the structure of a house directly on-site, ICON reduces waste, labor requirements, and construction time. Entire neighborhoods of 3D-printed homes are already being built, showcasing how this technology can scale.
Veev, on the other hand, focuses on prefabricated construction. By manufacturing high-quality components like walls and steel frames in a controlled factory environment, Veev eliminates inefficiencies associated with on-site building. These components are then assembled on location, drastically reducing construction time and costs. This approach mirrors the principles of mass production seen in industries like automotive manufacturing, where efficiency and scalability are key.
While building more homes is essential, access to housing often depend son financing. For many people, especially those with low or irregular incomes, the traditional mortgage system presents insurmountable barriers. Fintech innovations are stepping in to make housing financing more inclusive and flexible.
Access to affordable housing often hinges on financing, and innovative financial technology (fintech) solutions are beginning to change the landscape. Some platforms are offering new ways for individuals to transition from renting to owning, while others are introducing shared equity models that reduce the traditional barriers of large down payments and strict credit requirements. For example, companies like Point use shared-equity financing, where homeowners receive funds in exchange for a percentage of their home’s future value instead of taking on traditional debt. Meanwhile, startups are building tools that automate and simplify and revolutionizing the mortgage process, making it easier for underserved populations to access loans tailored to their needs.
Blockchain technology is also changing the game. By digitizing land titles and creating secure records of financial transactions, blockchain reduces the complexity and difficulty of accessing credit, especially for those with limited traditional credit. This is particularly impactful in regions where informal economies dominate and traditional proof of income is scarce. These tools create a pathway to homeownership for individuals who would otherwise be excluded from the system.
Beyond building and financing, technology is transforming how we understand and address housing needs. Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing risk assessment in the mortgage industry by analyzing a broader range of financial behaviors, such as rent and utility payments, to provide a more inclusive picture of creditworthiness.
At the same time, AI and big data are helping policymakers and developers make smarter decisions about where and how to build. By analyzing population trends, commuting patterns, and infrastructure needs, these tools ensure that new housing developments are built in the right places, reducing wasteful construction and improving urban planning.
For example, startups are using 3D scanning and machine learning to map informal settlements and identify buildings at risk of collapse. These insights not only improve safety but also guide investment toward areas where housing is most desperately needed.
The housing crisis is one of the most complex challenges of our time, and technology alone cannot solve it. But it can provide powerful tools to address specific pain points, from streamlining construction to expanding access to financing. Startups like ICON, Veev, and Landis are proving that innovation can lower costs, improve efficiency, and make housing more inclusive.
However, the ultimate solution lies in a combination of technology, policy reform, and community engagement. Governments must work alongside tech innovators to create urban environments that prioritize affordability, sustainability, and accessibility.
The future of housing isn’t just about building more homes; it’s about building smarter, greener, and fairer cities where everyone has a place to call home. By integrating cutting-edge technologies with forward-thinking policies, we can move closer to a world where affordable housing is not an aspiration but a reality.
The question is no longer whether technology can solve the housing crisis—it’s how we will use it wisely to create lasting change.
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From AI love affairs to cosmic survival, 2026 has it all.
Updated
December 23, 2025 1:21 PM
A man in a space suit looking upon a ringed marble. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
Grab your popcorn—the 2026 sci-fi movie slate is stacked. We’re getting everything from post-apocalyptic survival films to AI thrillers, plus a big-space adventure and a fresh DC superhero story. Some films launch new worlds, others expand familiar ones, but all of them aim to leave an impression, but all of them look like the kind of movies you’ll want to talk about after the credits.
Here are five upcoming sci-fi movies to mark on your calendar.
Release Date: January 9, 2026
Director: Kate Dolan
Stars: Lily Sullivan, David Rysdahl and Claudia Doumit
If you like your sci-fi with a creepy edge, Soulm8te is very much in that lane. A spin-off from the M3GAN universe, the film follows a man grieving the loss of his wife who turns to an AI android to ease the pain. At first, it seems to help. The connection feels real, even comforting. But before long, it becomes a little too real and slips into something far more dangerous. What makes Soulm8te unsettling is how close it feels to the present. AI companions are no longer science fiction, and the film plays with that reality in a way that feels intimate rather than futuristic. Directed by Kate Dolan, the story stays on quiet unease instead of spectacle, allowing tension to build as affection turns possessive and attachment becomes dangerous. The film is produced by Allison Williams and James Wan, both closely involved in the hit horror franchise M3GAN, and their experience with technology-driven horror is clearly felt here. Fans of grounded, psychological sci-fi should keep this one on their radar.
Release Date: January 9, 2026
Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Stars: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, Amber Rose Revah, Sophie Thompson, Trond Fausa Aurvåg
Back in 2020, Greenland introduced audiences to John Garrity (Gerard Butler), a father racing against time to save his family as comet fragments threatened to wipe out life on Earth. The film ended with survivors heading into bunkers deep in Greenland, hanging on to the last thin thread of hope. This sequel follows the Garrity family as they leave the safety of underground shelters and face a world that no longer resembles home. The setting moves across a battered Europe, where every decision carries weight and every journey feels uncertain. Rather than repeating the ticking-clock chaos of the original, Migration leans into endurance, exhaustion and the question of whether rebuilding is even possible. It’s a post-apocalyptic movie about movement, loss and the cost of starting over.
Release Date: March 20, 2026
Director: Phil Lord & Chris Miller
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Milana Vayntrub, Sandra Hüller
Based on Andy Weir’s best-selling novel, Project Hail Mary is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about space survival films of 2026. Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, an unlikely astronaut whose journey into space begins with confusion rather than heroics. Grace, a former junior high science teacher, wakes up alone on a spacecraft, cut off from Earth and missing key memories about how he got there. As pieces slowly fall into place, so does the scale of the problem he’s been sent to solve. The film blends real science with high-stakes isolation, balancing quiet moments with the pressure of a mission that affects the entire planet. Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Project Hail Mary promises tension, curiosity and a heavy dose of human vulnerability set against the vastness of space.
Release Date: March 27, 2026
Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin
The Dog Stars strips the apocalypse down to its bare essentials. Based on Peter Heller’s novel of the same name, the film features a screenplay by Mark L. Smith and Christopher Wilkinson, known for The Revenant and Ali. The setup of The Dog Stars is simple and bleak: a virus has erased most of humanity. What’s left is silence, abandoned airfields and roaming scavengers known as the “Reapers” who prey on the few survivors left behind.
Jacob Elordi plays Hig, a pilot living in isolation with his dog and a heavily armed companion. His days follow a strict routine, broken only by short flights in his aging Cessna. That fragile balance shatters when a distant radio signal breaks through the quiet. It’s the first real sign of life he has heard in years, and it draws him toward a journey that could change everything. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film focuses less on large-scale destruction and more on loneliness, hope and the risk of reaching out in a broken world. The result is a post-apocalyptic thriller that feels intimate, reflective and quietly tense.
Release Date: June 26, 2026
Director: Craig Gillespie
Stars: Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa, Matthias Schoenaerts
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow offers a very different take on the DC universe. This is a cosmic sci-fi story first, superhero film second. Kara Zor-El is older, tougher and shaped by memories of a world she lost. Unlike her cousin Superman, she remembers the destruction of Krypton clearly, and that history weighs heavily on her. The film follows Kara as she crosses paths with a young alien seeking justice, pulling her into a dangerous journey across distant worlds. Rather than focusing on Earth-saving spectacle, the story explores identity, grief and what heroism looks like far from home. With Milly Alcock stepping into the role, Supergirl 2026 aims to expand DC’s sci-fi side while giving the character emotional depth rarely seen on screen.
One reason science fiction movies stick with us is that they ask big questions in a way that feels personal. What happens when tech starts filling emotional gaps? What does survival look like when the world doesn’t bounce back? And how far would you go to save everyone you’ve ever known? If you’re looking for 2026 sci-fi movies that range from gritty to hopeful to unsettling, this lineup has you covered.