While April 22 is officially Earth Day, a day designed to inspire appreciation for the earth's environment, Habitat for Humanity of Michigan (HFHM) is marking Earth Day every day by training its statewide network of 77 affiliates to utilize all “green” building methods in 2010.
Green building, according to the U.S. Green Building Council, represents design and construction practices that significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on the environment and occupants in five broad areas -- including sustainable site planning, safeguarding water and water efficiency, energy efficiency and renewable energy, conservation of materials and resources and indoor environmental quality.
According to Ken Bensen, HFHM president. “Last year, 127 Michigan Habitat homes were ENERGY STAR® qualified by achieving 15 percent or better energy efficiency over 2004 residential building code requirements. Furthermore, our Sustainable Building Program has helped some Michigan Habitat homes achieve 50% improvement over code.”
Just ask Executive Director Don Jones, Kalamazoo Valley Habitat, about green building. On April 8, Jones received the 2010 Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce Environmental Award. Says Jones, “This great honor recognizes the years of work our affiliate has put into learning about sustainable practices and design, adjusting our business systems and implementing some very remarkable processes in all the work we do.”
Green building also means a house is built to high durability standards and uses less energy, so utility and maintenance costs remain low for the life of the house. And with nearly 14.4 percent of Michiganders -- some 1,440,493 people -- living below the official poverty line, low-cost housing is critical for homeowners whose annual income is under $28,000.
Through its Sustainable Building Program, Habitat affiliates in Michigan are paving the way in home construction by ensuring houses are not only affordable, but green. Habitat for Humanity of Michigan is one of the few states in the country to offer these kinds of resources to its affiliates. For more information on building green, or the HFHM Sustainable Building Program, visit: http://www.habitatmichigan.org/hfhm-going-green.
Habitat for Humanity of Michigan is the state support organization for Michigan’s 77 Habitat for Humanity affiliates which serve every county in the state. HFHM’s mission is to increase the capacity of Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Michigan to build or renovate simple, decent homes in partnership with people in need.