Habitat for Humanity is known for building low-income houses, but soon they may become a national leader in low-income residential “green” housing. Habitat for Humanity International and The Home Depot Foundation announced Tuesday the national expansion of “Partners In Sustainable Building,” a successful pilot program initiated at 30 affiliates that resulted in the construction of 260 sustainable homes. Most of the houses participating in the pilot received 15-30 percent energy reduction, while some achieved LEED Platinum certification, which resulted in nearly 50 percent energy savings. Jonathan Recker, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, called the pilot program “extremely successful.”
The national program will expand to 120 affiliates in 45 states across the nation and will provide $30 million in assistance to participating affiliates over a five-year period. According to Habitat’s press release, affiliates will be granted $3,000 for each home built to Energy Star standards and up to $5,000 for each home built to a higher green standard. These amounts are the typical additional costs to sustainably build an average $75,000 Habitat for Humanity house. The higher costs are attributed to additional needed materials, certification, and new training.
The program is hoping to build 1,500 sustainable homes by the end of 2010 with the eventual goal of building 5,000 in the next five years. Homes can be certified by a number of green building organizations, including the National Association of Home Builders standard, LEED, EarthCraft, and Enterprise Green Communities.
Although the environmental and monetary benefits of green building are catching on in the United States, it is still difficult to convince some people to make the investment. In addition, LEED certification is not as popular with residential housing as it is with business buildings.
Habitat’s pilot program proved that upfront costs of green residential building are minor and that the initial extra costs can be easily recouped throughout the lifetime of the house. If the national program is equally successful, it will be one of the largest, if not the largest, low-income green building initiatives in the United States.
Low-income individuals and families are hardest hit during energy price fluctuations, such as spikes in natural gas prices that have occurred during the last couple of years. High energy costs often mean no heat during cold winter months for low-income families. Energy efficiency housing provides these families with a buffer between volatile energy prices and their pocketbooks.
At the core of both organizations is the belief that environmentally-sound building should be accessible to all:
“The Home Depot Foundation believes green building techniques are not a luxury—they aren’t exotic or expensive,” said Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation. “By embracing the practical principles of green building, our partnership with Habitat for Humanity International is demonstrating that these techniques can actually make homes more affordable to own, maintain and live in from day one and for the long-term. With health and economic concerns at an all-time high, this issue is more important than ever for the families who will purchase these homes.”
Money is also allotted to train employees about green building: “To inspire and educate additional affiliate participation, eight Habitat State Support Organizations, which provide services to 440 affiliates, will also receive grant money to add staff and host training sessions for Habitat affiliates to learn how to build to nationally-recognized green standards.”
The Home Depot Foundation was created in 2002 and has since granted $120 million to nonprofit organizations and supported the development of more than 65,000 affordable, healthy homes. The foundation focuses on supporting sustainable building projects for working and low-income families across the United States.
