Two young men in a forested area clearing sat about building a small underground house. All they had were a few crude tools and the materials in the surrounding area. It was not but one room but it was built quickly. I can’t say how long it took, but I’d guess less than a week. With a few power tools, it might take a couple of days.

Mostly the house was just dug out of the ground and had a table and seats for eating as well as a bed big enough for the two of them. There was also a small pool to bathe in. The roof and part of the walls were built from a skeleton of wood poles and covered with straw enforced mud. Then that was covered by grass sod. It had a stove on which they fixed a meal of meat, rice and vegetables. Side note, the stove could easily be outside.

Okay. Such an environment isn’t a five star hotel, but it was inexpensive. With a $5000 lot in the right location just might make something you can survive in. Beats having to live in a shelter.

To be sure, if you build such a thing, you do need to stay inside the law and outside flood areas. Even so, should such a home flood, you haven’t lost that much. Moreover, it can be added to and reinforced as time and money permits.

So, instead of building things like this, we Americans have our hands out for a handout.