Building the future of affordable, aging-ready housing in Nebraska
OurStory Small Houses is creating the tools, designs, workforce, and partnerships needed to help more communities deliver small, accessible, energy-efficient homes. OurStory standardizes pathways for builders, developers, cities, and lenders to bring aging-ready housing to market with greater confidence and lower risk.
“Design-forward solutions are an important piece of the affordable housing puzzle. By prioritizing thoughtful design strategies, OurStory charts a course for affordable housing that is better attuned to residents, their neighborhoods, and our future.”
Why this matters now
Nebraska needs more housing options that are affordable, accessible, beautiful, and practical to build. The need is especially urgent for older adults, first-time buyers, and low- and moderate-income households who want to remain in their communities.
OurStory responds by creating small homes, ADUs, and cottage court designs that are aging-ready, buildable, financeable, and energy-efficient. That energy efficiency matters for LMI households because housing affordability is not just about purchase price — it is also about lower monthly utility costs and better long-term stability. The OurStory housing system is all-electric, high-performance, and designed to reduce energy waste through better insulation and reduced air leakage.
What OurStory is building
In 2026, OurStory is launching the OurStory Small Houses catalog — a public-facing collection of standardized small home, ADU, and cottage court designs. The goal is to equip builders, nonprofit developers, municipalities, and housing partners with practical models they can use and adapt across multiple sites and markets.
Alongside catalog development, OurStory is validating the model through real construction, technical testing, and workforce development. This is not just a design idea. It is infrastructure for a stronger housing ecosystem.
“This investment in training and mentoring Nebraska-based architects ensures a pipeline of professionals who understand aging-in-place principles and will carry those skills throughout their careers.”
Impact at a Glance
2 OurStory models validated through real construction and financing
2 paid architecture interns supported
34 architecture students trained in aging-ready small housing design
1 standardized housing catalog launching in 2026
Multiple housing types in development: small homes, ADUs, and cottage courts
Ongoing real-world cost, construction schedule, and energy performance benchmarking
Why it matters:
OurStory is reducing barriers for builders, developers, lenders, and communities by creating tools and data they can use with confidence.
Why donors should invest
A major gift to OurStory helps move this work from prototype to scale.
Philanthropic investment will support:
The OurStory Small Houses catalog
Standardized, builder-ready designs for small homes, ADUs, and cottage courts.Demonstration housing projects
Real-world validation that builds confidence among developers, lenders, and public-sector partners.Workforce development
Paid internships, mentorship, and hands-on training for Nebraska-based emerging architects.Technical assistance and ecosystem building
The tools, partnerships, and shared learning needed to support broader adoption of aging-ready housing.
The long-term payoff
With donor support, OurStory can help Nebraska communities expand the supply of housing that is:
more attainable
more accessible
more energy-efficient
easier to finance and build
better aligned with aging in place and gentle density goals
The invitation
A major gift to OurStory Small Houses is an investment in a more livable Nebraska.
It will help transform thoughtful design into real housing solutions, strengthen the workforce needed to deliver those solutions, and give communities practical tools to create homes that are smaller, more attainable, more accessible, and more energy-efficient.
With your support, OurStory can help Nebraska lead with housing solutions that are affordable, aging-ready, and built for the future.
“The success of any housing initiative relies on strong, cross-sector partnerships that are essential for creating lasting, impactful change. OurStory excels at this.”