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County Habitat to build first Earthcraft home
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| County Habitat to build first Earthcraft home |
By Lydia Grimes
April Nicholson applied for a Habitat for Humanity home two years ago and has been working her “sweat equity” hours for the organization since she was chosen for a new home last year.
Now she and her two sons are gearing up to help build their own house — which will be the local Habitat chapter’s first “Earthcraft” home.
Earthcraft, created in Atlanta in 1999, is a residential green building program that provides a long-term pollution prevention impact. Buildings are healthier and more energy efficient, reducing effects on the environment.
That results in a home that is more economical for the homeowner, said Alecia Glaize, director of Escambia County’s Habitat for Humanity chapter.
Two Habitat members have trained in the specifics of building the Earthcraft home, she said.
“If we can build this house and stand up to the inspections, we will receive a $5,000 grant,” Glaize said. “We sent these people to train, and we don’t expect anything to keep us from passing the inspection.”
This isn’t Habitat’s first foray into “green” building. A house on Brandenburg Street in East Brewton employed many environmentally friendly building materials and methods.
“(Earthcraft) is a step up from the green house we have already built,” Glaize said.
The new house, to be built on Hollinger Street in Brewton, will also be an Energy Star home. There will be effective insulation, high-performance windows, tight construction and ducts, and efficient heating and cooling equipment, Glaize said.
“Building on the new house begins Oct. 16, and we hope to have it done in time for the family to have Thanksgiving in it,” Glaize said.
Nicholson has been preparing to help build the house by participating in other Habitat projects. The organization requires future homeowners to put in 400 “sweat equity” hours on other houses as well as their own.
“This is a blessing,” Nicholson said. “I applied for a Habitat home in 2007 and found out in 2008 that we had been picked. To be a single parent and have a home for me and my two children, Tyrese and Markel, is just a blessing. I think this is such a good idea. Habitat is a good organization for people who need a little help to get their dream home. I have been working on my ‘sweat equity’ ever since I found out that we had been picked. It takes a long time to do sweat equity and still hold down my job at the same time, but I am willing to to it.”
Glaize said she hopes the house will be finished in time for the holiday season.
“We hope April and her two children will be able to celebrate the holiday in their new home,” Glaize said. “They are presently living in an older mobile home.”
In addition to tackling some new building methods, Habitat will also be revamping its organization of volunteers with this build.
“We want to work this time to have more efficient use of the volunteers,” Glaize said. “Sometimes there are too many volunteers at the beginning and then it tapers off. We need to schedule them over the whole length of the build.”
And for those who want to help but are not able to participate in construction, there will be an entire support crew, Glaize said.
“We also want to see about getting a crew of volunteers to take care of the builders,” she said. “If anyone would like to help but can’t actually work on the building, we need someone to take care of food, drinks, registration and T-shirts. We want everyone to be able to contribute.”
Glaize said Habitat is also looking for some skilled construction workers to take charge of the volunteers, such as painters, roofing, plumbing, siding and landscaping.
“We need some new volunteers,” Glaize said. “We don’t want to burn out the workers we do have. We also need more funding from more individuals. There has been some misunderstanding about the Habitat homes. They are not given to the homeowner; they have to pay the money back. We have to have the money to build a house up front. I think it is a great way to honor someone. Give in the name of someone, either in honor of or in memory of. It could be a gift that will help someone else and it is tax deductible.”
For those who would like to donate, or volunteer, call the Habitat for Humanity at 867-0095.
Now she and her two sons are gearing up to help build their own house — which will be the local Habitat chapter’s first “Earthcraft” home.
Earthcraft, created in Atlanta in 1999, is a residential green building program that provides a long-term pollution prevention impact. Buildings are healthier and more energy efficient, reducing effects on the environment.
That results in a home that is more economical for the homeowner, said Alecia Glaize, director of Escambia County’s Habitat for Humanity chapter.
Two Habitat members have trained in the specifics of building the Earthcraft home, she said.
“If we can build this house and stand up to the inspections, we will receive a $5,000 grant,” Glaize said. “We sent these people to train, and we don’t expect anything to keep us from passing the inspection.”
This isn’t Habitat’s first foray into “green” building. A house on Brandenburg Street in East Brewton employed many environmentally friendly building materials and methods.
“(Earthcraft) is a step up from the green house we have already built,” Glaize said.
The new house, to be built on Hollinger Street in Brewton, will also be an Energy Star home. There will be effective insulation, high-performance windows, tight construction and ducts, and efficient heating and cooling equipment, Glaize said.
“Building on the new house begins Oct. 16, and we hope to have it done in time for the family to have Thanksgiving in it,” Glaize said.
Nicholson has been preparing to help build the house by participating in other Habitat projects. The organization requires future homeowners to put in 400 “sweat equity” hours on other houses as well as their own.
“This is a blessing,” Nicholson said. “I applied for a Habitat home in 2007 and found out in 2008 that we had been picked. To be a single parent and have a home for me and my two children, Tyrese and Markel, is just a blessing. I think this is such a good idea. Habitat is a good organization for people who need a little help to get their dream home. I have been working on my ‘sweat equity’ ever since I found out that we had been picked. It takes a long time to do sweat equity and still hold down my job at the same time, but I am willing to to it.”
Glaize said she hopes the house will be finished in time for the holiday season.
“We hope April and her two children will be able to celebrate the holiday in their new home,” Glaize said. “They are presently living in an older mobile home.”
In addition to tackling some new building methods, Habitat will also be revamping its organization of volunteers with this build.
“We want to work this time to have more efficient use of the volunteers,” Glaize said. “Sometimes there are too many volunteers at the beginning and then it tapers off. We need to schedule them over the whole length of the build.”
And for those who want to help but are not able to participate in construction, there will be an entire support crew, Glaize said.
“We also want to see about getting a crew of volunteers to take care of the builders,” she said. “If anyone would like to help but can’t actually work on the building, we need someone to take care of food, drinks, registration and T-shirts. We want everyone to be able to contribute.”
Glaize said Habitat is also looking for some skilled construction workers to take charge of the volunteers, such as painters, roofing, plumbing, siding and landscaping.
“We need some new volunteers,” Glaize said. “We don’t want to burn out the workers we do have. We also need more funding from more individuals. There has been some misunderstanding about the Habitat homes. They are not given to the homeowner; they have to pay the money back. We have to have the money to build a house up front. I think it is a great way to honor someone. Give in the name of someone, either in honor of or in memory of. It could be a gift that will help someone else and it is tax deductible.”
For those who would like to donate, or volunteer, call the Habitat for Humanity at 867-0095.
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