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GREEN BUILDING PROGRAMS
The Sustainable Building Program
While affiliates naturally build safe, decent, affordable
houses that remain so for the long term, HFH-MN’s
Sustainable Building Program (SBP) offers resources
that aid affiliate efforts to reach the next level
of energy efficient, durable, and healthy construction.
The SBP was created and implemented by HFH-MN in
2007, and since has significantly increased the number
of Habitat homeowners who now live in very energy
efficient homes. Training opportunities are tailored
to Habitat affiliates’ needs and practices and are
delivered by various methods: on-site, at mini- and
statewide-conferences, and through regional networking
meetings. Technical and material support is designed
to create or source the tools necessary for affiliates
to achieve high levels of health and efficiency in
both construction practice and the finished home;
this includes product and standards research, results
tracking, and connecting affiliates with local resources
available for building the best in efficient, healthy,
affordable homes.
Check the Habitat for Humanity Mini-Conference
Schedule page for upcoming SBP training
opportunities. Contact
Molly Berg to discuss an on-site training for your
staff and/or volunteers.
The SBP is currently funded thanks to
a grant from The Home Depot Foundation and Habitat for Humanity
International. Have a look at our press release announcing
the newest phase of the SBP.
Minnesota Housing CRV Grant and Minnesota Green Communities
Minnesota Housing (MH), the state housing
agency, has teamed up with Minnesota
Green Communities to help fund the
construction of new, green homes. The
MH Community Revitalization (CRV) grant
requires that any new construction
funded meet Minnesota Green Communities
guidelines, including the Enterprise
Green Communities Criteria and the
Minnesota Overlay.
In 2008, MN awarded Habitat for Humanity
of Minnesota a CRV grant specifically
based on affiliates’ performance in
energy efficient, healthy home construction.
Habitat affiliates Goodhue, Rice, Winona,
Steele, Central, Lakes Area, Itasca,
and North St. Louis County volunteered
for the pilot program in Fiscal Years
2009 and 2010. Between these eight
affiliates, 17 Minnesota Green
Communities homes
were completed in the 2009 build
season.
For the FYs 2010 and 2011, seven
additional affiliates were eligible
for participation:
South Central, East Central, Western
Lake Superior, Northwoods, Lake
Agassiz, West Central, and Fergus
Falls. There
are currently 32 Green Communities
builds planned for the 2010 build
season.
In the future, MH will require
any new construction OR rehabilitation
project
funded by its programs to meet
Minnesota
Green Communities guidelines.
This is good news, as every Minnesota
HFH affiliate
is almost there. We’ve all been
building great homes for years.
For a specification
list detailing the basic requirements
of Minnesota Green Communities,
please visit the “Green Resources
for Affiliates”
page and check out “MGCC Build
Specifications 2010”. For complete
details on the
Green Communities guidelines
and
the Minnesota
Overlay, please visit Minnesota
Green Communities online. For complete
details on the CRV program or other
MH initiatives, please visit the Minnesota Housing’s website.
Construction Resource Room Online
This Yahoo! Group is a forum for affiliates to find and
share best practices in construction. Affiliate samples
of Energy
Star home
plans; specifications that meet green criteria programs;
links to local building science resources; contact information
for
Minnesota HFH affiliate construction staff/volunteers;
and green material
and product experience from Minnesota HFH affiliates. This
is currently an “invite only” site; please email Molly Berg for
log-in information.
Sustainable Building Specialist
As a result of a grant from The Home
Depot Foundation and Habitat for Humanity
International, HFH-MN was able to hire
a full-time staff person dedicated to
providing affiliates with direct assistance
in sustainable home construction. Molly
Berg, formerly the HFH-MN Green Building
VISTA, is now the Sustainable Building
Specialist. She can be reached by e-mail
at: molly@hfhmn.org or by phone at: 877-804-3466
(toll-free) or 612-331-4439, extension
7.
 
Habitat for Humanity of Minnesota
Office: 2401 Lowry Ave NE #210
Minneapolis, MN 55418
Phone: 612.331.4439
Fax: 612.789.0846
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