WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. -- A small West Melbourne company that hopes to ship thousands of steel and Styrofoam mini-houses to Central American peasants as part of a federal contract is touting its product as a low-cost alternative for Brevard County residents in need.

The father-and-son team of Cliff and Dan Singleton, the principals of S5 Construction LLC, are hoping to finalize an agreement with the government of a country they declined to identify pending the deal's completion.

The deal would be for between 3,000 and 18,000 small housing units -- 10 feet by 20 feet, or 200 square feet -- that would be made available to impoverished Central American citizens. The Singletons did not disclose the value of the contract but said it would be S5's biggest, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported.

With the economy in bad shape and the foreclosures and foreclosure filings piling up in Brevard County and the state, the Singletons want to explore broadening their role in Florida's affordable housing market, especially as an alternative to mobile homes.

"We think there's a high demand for affordable housing," said Dan Singleton, the company's owner.

Just because their homes are made of Styrofoam-insulated steel walls and other steel parts, it doesn't mean they are any less sturdy than regular homes, Singleton said, adding that the dwellings can withstand winds up to 160 mph, are more energy efficient and are more resistant to fires, mold and termites than wood homes.

"There's a difference between cheap and affordable," he said.

The company already has sold homes in Brevard County and the Orlando area, ranging in size and price from a 240- square-foot guesthouse in Malabar for about $12,000 to a 7,200-square-foot house on South Tropical Trail on Merritt Island for about $800,000.

"We're trying to speak to local officials about providing affordable housing for citizens here," Dan Singleton said.

S5 has contacted local officials about using the company's houses for affordable housing programs.

The county bought parts for a small home from S5 and hired a contractor to assemble it for Mims residents whose previous home was in disrepair and needed to be replaced, said Sam Dettra, housing supervisor for the county's Housing and Human Services Department.

Dettra said his office has contacted Cocoa city officials about a government-funded project to build affordable homes on the site of a former trailer park, and S5 could be selected for the job.

"We're looking into bungalow-type housing," Dettra said.

He said S5 may be a good fit for such projects because, although the homes may cost more than a standard cement-block home of the same size, the S5 homes offer advantages such as sturdiness, 50-year roofs, energy efficiency and potentially lower insurance costs.

"These would be great for hurricane victims," Dettra said.