Occasionally, I see a good idea, and wonder why it’s not being done everywhere. One such occasion was at the Iowa State Fair, when I saw a prefabricated house with a sign saying that it could be delivered, anywhere in Iowa, for under $100,000. For someone who owned a suitable lot, this seemed like a way to provide affordable housing. (Larger models are available, at only slightly higher prices.) I went inside the two-bedroom one bath home. It wasn’t a McMansion, but it was a comfortable home.

It turns out that they are being offered by a non-profit, Homes for Iowa.  But their mission isn’t just affordable housing.  They train and rehabilitate incarcerated men at a minimum-security prison, and teach them not only trades, but also “soft skills” needed in the outside world.  Since their founding in 2019, 675 men have been through the program, with a recidivism rate of only 6.1%.

In my humble opinion, it’s a no-brainer.  And yes, if you zoom in, I’m wearing an Underdog shirt.  In his day, Underdog put a lot of bad actors behind bars, but I think he would approve of some of them being turned back into productive members of society.