Habitat For Humanity Goes Green!
(Page 4 of 6)
April/May 2003
By Dan Chiras
ENDING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY
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Providing decent, affordable shelter, and creating a sense of security and comfort is primary to Habitat's mission. "Many people in our homes came from rental units that didn't even have heating and cooling systems," says Tucson HFH's Yvonne Coelet. Sixteen-year-old Isaac Felix lives with his mother and four siblings in a four-bedroom, passive-solar, rammed-earth house built by Tucson Habitat for Humanity. "The neat thing about our house is that when it's hot outside, it's cool in side, and when it's cold outside, it's warm inside. We don't even have to use our air conditioner or heater," Felix says.
Low fuel bills and affordable mortgages save families hundreds of dollars a year, preserving hard-earned cash for other necessities such as food, clothing and education. In 1997, the Valadez family moved into an energy-efficient home built by HFH of Metro Denver.
"The typical winter utility bill in their new home ranges from $47 to $52 per month, compared to $150 to $200 per month in their old apartment," says Pritchard. "Their summer utility bills now range from $20 to $27 per month, down from $65 to $75 per month in their apartment."
The extra savings allowed the mother, Estella, to hire a babysitter to watch the children while she attended culinary school. Today, Estella is a cook at Denver's prestigious Brown Palace, a five-star restaurant located in the heart of downtown Denver. Now that she's working as a cook, her family "experiences even more financial freedom and they now are living in an affordable home," says Pritchard.
TAKING IT TO THE STREETS
Habitat's program of involving volunteers in the building process provides them with valuable knowledge and experience. With the Green Team program, volunteers who tote 2x6s and hammer nails—many of whom will build their own homes some day—also have an opportunity to learn about energy-efficient solar homes and green building materials.
"As we build the homes, volunteers are definitely learning from the construction su pervisors what they're putting in and why they're doing what they're doing to create energy efficiency. Every morning on the job site, we hold a volunteer orientation and talk about our energy-efficient homes," says Pritchard. "We're also sharing knowledge and experience with other affiliates."
According to Lori Vaclavik, executive director of HFH of Metro Denver, green building also sets an important standard for all builders to follow. With widespread adoption of these practices, we can all create habitat that provides people with comfort and savings while safeguarding the life-support systems of the planet.
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