Affordable housing is a lingering problem in the Sioux Falls area. Southeast Technical College is hoping a new grant can benefit students and address this issue at the same time.
The Southeast Technical College Foundation is the beneficiary of a $2 million grant from Wells Fargo to create the Wells Fargo Homebuilding Lab. Thus far, students have been working on home construction off campus through industry partnerships. The lab creates a way for students to have hands-on learning on campus grounds.
Fenecia Homan is the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Southeast Tech. She said the intent is creating a “living lab” that can enhance student learning and in turn benefit South Dakota.
“I don’t know if immersive is the word, but how we can expose our students to so many different types, whether it be materials or styles or what that looks like and how that’s built into the facility. In addition to how we’ll be able to actually, you know, build the homes and then focus on some of the commercial side within that lab as well,” Homan said. “I think it will be a very integrated, intentional space, and thrill for how many different industry partners this will be able to support, as well as the opportunities it will bring to a develop a workforce.”
She said once the lab is up and running, the Homebuilding Lab could expand its use to other programming, such as integrating architectural engineering students. Homan added the lab gives Southeast Tech more autonomy.
“[We’ll have] different learning opportunities built in and be able to get to those in time, rather than as available," Homan said. "We’ll be able to be much more intentional with our curriculum.”
That includes giving students greater access to the different aspects of construction.
Homan said students will continue to work with the construction industry to address affordable housing shortages in the Sioux Falls community.
“With that, we’ll continue our partnership with Habitat, they’ve been great, just great partners for our program throughout," Homan said. "And so, we’ll build that house inside our lab and then get to move that to a site that they determine.”
Construction on the lab begins Spring 2026. Homan said “in a perfect world” it would open in Fall 2026, but “realistically” it will open during the Spring 27 semester.
