Godfrey Riddle, the founder and president of Civic Saint, has established a Kansas City-based business with a mission to create affordable and artistic housing options for the community. Growing up in Kansas City, Riddle witnessed firsthand the struggles his parents faced with homeownership. This personal experience has fueled his passion to provide more people, especially those from the Black community, with access to affordable housing.
Civic Saint plans to use compressed earth blocks (CEBs) in their construction process, which are made of a mix of sand, clay, soil, lime or cement water. These CEBs offer benefits such as strength, cost-effectiveness and sustainability. The homes built by Civic Saint are estimated to cost around $100,000 to build 850 square feet and are planned to sell for $130,000-$140,000. The first project by Civic Saint will be a tiny home in Montgall Park with future plans to expand into other neighborhoods in need of affordable housing options.
Riddle believes that providing a variety of housing options such as single-family homes, townhouses and small apartment complexes is crucial in giving people more opportunities to own property and build wealth. He also aims to incorporate art into the design of the homes to reflect the unique character of each neighborhood.
Civic Saint has partnered with GEM Cultural and Education Center for KC Design Week to showcase an example facade of homes built with CEBs. A public forum will be held on April 25th at kcdesignweek.org where tickets can be purchased
