Habitat to Build Thousands of Green Homes
Habitat for Humanity International, in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation, recently announced a national green building initiative to build thousands of homes that are more energy efficient and sustainable.
The initiative, Partners in Sustainable Building, plans to mobilize Habitat affiliates to build at least 5,000 homes according to nationally recognized green building standards. The homes will cost less to operate and maintain and have less of an impact on the environment.
"This partnership will provide our affiliates with the additional resources and training they need to create homes that are more durable and energy efficient, which will make them even more affordable to our homeowners," said Jonathan T.M. Reckford, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity International, in a statement.
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"We are truly grateful to The Home Depot Foundation for making this partnership possible, because it will improve the lives of thousands of low-income families while promoting good stewardship of our natural resources."
The partnership will begin with a one-year pilot program with about 30 Habitat affiliates in a variety of climates and in rural and urban areas to measure the impact of the program.
Habitat affiliates will receive resources from the foundation to expand their use of energy-efficient equipment, install more water-conserving fixtures and ensure good indoor air quality. The funding will also help Habitat affiliates to get third party verification of nationally recognized green building standards.
The Home Depot Foundation is providing $30 million in financial and in-kind support, technical resources, and training to establish a base of green building expertise that will help Habitat build future environmentally friendly homes.
"Our organization supports the construction of homes for families that are healthy to live in and affordable to own," said Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation. "We are thrilled to be partnering with Habitat to create additional opportunities for thousands of families of modest means to experience the economic and health benefits of green building practices.
"We believe that the impact of this program will be far-reaching and will add to the long-term success of families and communities across the country."
This is the first formal partnership between the two organizations at the national level in the United States.
Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built more than 250,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1 million people.
