How a 3D-printed housing project failed Cairo, Illinois — and who’s investigating
A 3-D printed home sits unfinished in Cairo, Illinois, in November 2025. Google Maps
The city of Cairo, at the southern tip of Illinois, has a housing crisis that goes back decades. Not long ago, an outside developer promised 3D-printed homes could turn things around. But the houses never materialized.
We'll talk about what happened and what it means for Cairo with Molly Parker, a reporter who covered the story; Steven Tarver, a Cairo resident and advocate; and Kaneesha Mallory, a Cairo resident who was planning to move into one of the new 3D-printed houses.
Discussed
- Molly's story for Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica: 3D-Printed Homes, an Abandoned $590,000 Deposit, the FBI: What Really Happened in This Small Town?
- Molly's behind-the-scenes piece about reporting the story: They Said a 3D Printer Would Bring Housing to This Town. It Was Yet Another Broken Promise.
- Previously on The 21st Show:
- Cairo, Illinois, loses its only grocery store — again
- Union Civil War camp in Cairo once hosted up to 5,000 freed African Americans
- Illinois’ most endangered locations include Black-founded town, affordable housing in Cairo
- Cairo Magnolia Celebration aims to preserve city’s history
- Faith and Black Power in Cairo, Illinois
Guests
Molly Parker
Reporter, Capitol News Illinois / ProPublica Local Reporting Network
Steven Tarver
Former member, Cairo Housing Task Force
Kaneesha Mallory
Cairo resident; hoped to move into the new duplex
