BUILDING GREEN
Providing affordable housing forms a key part of Habitat for Humanity's mission. That, combined with a sustainable housing goal, explains the emphasis on green building among Habitat homes.
"Sustainable also means being good stewards of resources," said Susan Bourner, director of partner relations for Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. "If a home is green built it's going to be more energy-efficient, which means lower costs for heating, cooling, electricity."
All of the houses to be built at Phoenix Place will be certified according to the National Green Building Standard of the National Association of Home Builders, said Susan Levy, Habitat's executive director. To achieve that standard, Habitat builders pay attention to building materials, house airflow and building small houses to decrease the home's footprint on the environment.
"It's good for our homeowners in that it means that the houses are highly energy-efficient," Levy said. "It's less expensive to maintain over time."
By Erin Wiltgen
chh@heraldsun.com; 419-6654
CHAPEL HILL -- Celebrating 25 years and the construction of about 200 homes, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County moves back to Chapel Hill to begin building a new neighborhood this month.
Phoenix Place, a neighborhood by Rogers Road, is a 50-home site. So far, 18 homeowners have been selected, and construction on the first nine houses will begin as soon as the infrastructure is completed.
"We're really excited to have this new neighborhood starting in Chapel Hill," said Susan Bourner, director of partner relations for Habitat for Humanity of Orange County.
Although laying the infrastructure -- such as roads, water lines and sewers -- began in March 2009, the plans for Phoenix Place actually began in 2005 with contracting the land. Then followed two years of going through the Town of Chapel Hill's special use permit approval process and another few years of fundraising, developing construction plans and looking for partnership groups.
Some groups, such as UNC Healthcare and various churches, partner with Habitat to sponsor the building of a house by raising $35,000 and providing volunteer builders. Nine groups have committed to partnerships in Phoenix Place so far.
Another group, called Builders of Hope, will partner with the project by filling 10 of the 50 lots. Builders of Hope is a nonprofit group that takes homes slated for demolition, moves them to a new site and sells them to people who earn 60 to 80 percent of the median income.
Habitat builds homes for people who earn 40 percent to 60 percent of the median income, selling the houses at a zero interest mortgage with volunteer labor to put the houses within the homeowners' price range.
But the application process for homeowners considers more than just an individual's financial situation. In fact, only 18 of the 100 applicants were approved even though many more than that fit the financial requirements, Levy said.
Other qualifications besides need include ability to pay a mortgage, a willingness to partner and the completion of 325 sweat equity hours, or hours spent helping to build both their own and others' houses.
"The whole habitat model is built on neighbors helping neighbors," Bourner said. "We are not a handout, we're a hand up. People need to invest themselves in the building of their home."
A positive side effect of the sweat equity hours is that because Habitat requires homeowners to help build other houses in the neighborhood, people who will soon live next door to each other begin forming relationships.
"If you're working together with people on other houses, you get to know those who are going to live near you," Bourner said. "You're much more friendly and open, and it's a much healthier neighborhood. It just helps build community all the way around. "
And though 325 hours seems like an eternity, Levy said most people work hard to complete the requirement, even completing alternative activities to physical labor in the face of disabilities.
"Our homeowners are highly motivated," she said. "This is something that they've dreamed of, wanted for themselves and their children, and they're going to sacrifice to make it happen."
Habitat serves a segment of the population that could not otherwise afford to own a house. But the organization also benefits the community at large, Levy said. Since about 14 of the 18 approved homeowners for Phoenix Place are employees of UNC or UNC Healthcare, providing them homes close to work cuts down on car use and saves families a significant amount of money, she said.
"It's important in terms of ensuring that Chapel Hill remains a diverse community and that people who work hard here to provide some very basic, necessary services for everyone else can also afford to live here in a decent home," Levy said. "It leaves more money that they can put towards their future and their children's future."
