The Home Depot Foundationannounced the grantees of a new round of funding for their Partners in Sustainable Building (PSB) program last week. More than 135 Habitat for Humanity affiliates across 42 states will receive grant money to help pay for sustainable homes. Habitat will receive $3,000 for each home that is Energy Star certified, and $5,000 each for higher green home certifications.
The PSB program was launched by The Home Depot Foundation in 2009, and has already helped fund over 1,500 Habitat homes nationwide. It is expected that this year’s grantees will build over 2,400 homes through the program.
“We believe that healthy homes are the building blocks for thriving, affordable and environmentally sound communities,” said Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation. “Through our partnership with Habitat for Humanity, we are focused on bringing the practical financial and health benefits of green building and maintenance to families of modest incomes. By showing that green building and efficient maintenance of a home can truly keep more money in a family’s wallet, we also hope this effort has a ripple effect on all homeowners nationwide.”
The homes save their residents money every month by drastically reducing energy costs. Here are just a few examples of the savings:
- One PSB homeowner in Rushford, Minnesota reported that her heating bill averaged only $2.50 per day during January.
- In Fort Bend, a Texas homeowner who recently moved from his mobile home into a PSB home reported energy savings of $500 a month.
- After months of 100+ degree temperatures, a homeowner in Grayson County, Texas reported that her highest electric bill was only $100.
- In St. Louis, Missouri a homeowner saved so much in utility bills that she was able to purchase everything her children needed for the new school year, an annual expense she could not previously afford.
For Habitat, the partnership continues its commitment to quality, energy efficient housing for low-income families. “Our collaboration with The Home Depot Foundation is providing Habitat affiliates with the resources to continue building energy-efficient homes in neighborhoods throughout the country,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International. “At the end of our $30 million five-year effort, 5,000 families will have benefited from this partnership.”
Photo courtesy of The Home Depot Foundation.
Source: Greenbuildingelements.com by Dawn Killough
