The recent natural disasters in both Haiti and Chile have brought a lot of attention to the countries’ vastly different building methods and codes (or the lack thereof in Haiti) as well as the quality of their buildings. While solving Haiti’s building code and quality issues will prove to be a monumental long-term task, solving the housing crisis in the short-term is taking precedent. Millions are homeless, with little or nothing to shelter them from the elements.  
 
Modular construction, in the form of temporary buildings, is proving to be a quick and viable solution to helping Haiti now.  From the Colorado based company sending temporary wood and aluminum shelters that can be installed quickly and easily, to the US architect’s plan to send retrofitted shipping containers that are assembled on-site as modular units, modular construction in the broader sense is at the forefront of the many short-term housing solutions that are being proposed. 
 
However, rebuilding Haiti with safe, sustainable and affordable housing will be a long-term challenge, and the solution will have to be more than a “band-aid”, taking into account Haiti’s dire housing situation before the disaster occurred. Modular construction in the form of permanent, long-term housing is a solution to Haiti’s housing crisis for a number of reasons. Haitian laborers were utilizing concrete building construction, which proved to be unsafe in the recent earthquake. There is a lack of local skilled laborers for the types of buildings needed to better withstand natural disasters, and offsite modular construction fills this void. Modular units are built offsite to high quality standards and shipped, nearly completed, to the final construction site.  At DeLuxe Building Systems, we utilize a steel-framed system that promotes sustainability as well as safety. Furthermore, modular buildings can be completed in about half the time that traditional stick-built construction methods usually require, filling both the short and long-term need for safe, quality housing. 
 
Much work remains to be done in Haiti towards building a more stable society, and providing quality long-term housing for the people is just one of many important elements. Modular construction has the necessary qualities to fulfill much of Haiti’s long-term housing need, and contributes towards the permanent improvement of living conditions in Haiti for all.