Steel-framed houses are rare. Here's why this Louisiana developer wants to change that.

American homebuilders love lumber. Can they learn to love steel?

Last year, 94% of all single-family homes built in the United States were "stick built," according to industry data . Most of the remainder were constructed using concrete. Less than half a percent — about 4,000 homes total nationwide — were made with steel framing, a stronger but more expensive alternative.

Notably, nearly all of these "metal houses" were in the South, where building codes have gotten stricter as worsening extreme weather events cause billions of dollars in damage, drive up insurance premiums and force builders to look for new solutions.

In Louisiana, one unlikely new home builder has plans to push the numbers higher.

The South Central Planning and Development Commission, a sprawling quasi-governmental