NEWS RELEASES

 WASHINGTON, DC – The National Housing Endowment has announced 10 of the 25 Habitat for Humanity homes will be certified to the ANSI/ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard thanks to a community grant from Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) Inc.

“Several Habitat for Humanity affiliates and other builders of affordable homes across the country have already seen the inherent value of having their homes Green Certified by the NAHB Research Center, and the SFI grant will allow us to expand the benefits even further,” Michael Luzier, President and CEO of the NAHB Research Center, said today.

The NAHB Research Center will receive funds through the National Housing Endowment to certify 25 Habitat for Humanity homes, including the following affiliates:

• Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities, Bettendorf, IA
• Habitat for Humanity Bay-Waveland Area, Bay Saint Louis, MS
• Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County, Wilmington, DE
• Chatham Habitat for Humanity, Pittsboro, NC
• Lexington Habitat for Humanity, Lexington, KY
• Habitat for Humanity – Grand Traverse Region, Traverse City, MI
• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
• Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Metro Atlanta, Smyrna, GA
• Palouse Habitat for Humanity, Moscow, ID
• Habitat for Humanity of Southeastern Connecticut, New London, CT

Luzier said green certification needs to be accessible for homes in all price ranges. “That’s why our certification is more affordable and not as time consuming as other national certifications while delivering the same third-party credibility and rigor,” he said. “There is also an NAHB members’ discount for Habitat for Humanity affiliates.”

“At SFI, we care about our communities and the environment, and we are proud to support this important endeavour,” said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of the independent SFI forest certification program. “The National Green Building Standard recognizes wood from all credible third-party forest certification standards, including SFI, making it easier for builders to build with North American wood.”

“Habitat welcomes this initiative because we build sustainably to take better care of our environment, our homeowners and our volunteers,” said Matt Clark, National Director, Construction Technologies, for Habitat for Humanity International. “We want to reduce each home’s monthly and life cycle costs, and increase efficiency and durability while providing healthy environments. Working with partners like the NAHB Research Center and SFI helps us improve the quality of our homes and the building process.”

Habitat for Humanity affiliates that want to be considered under the program should contact the NAHB Research Center. Homes must not have been previously registered with the Research Center for certification; and construction must start this year and be completed by April 30, 2012.

The NAHB-Habitat initiative is funded through an SFI community grant, part of the SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program. To date, SFI Inc. has committed more than $1 million for grants to help build knowledge, support landowner outreach, strengthen global supply chains, and deliver countless benefits in forests and communities across the United States and Canada. Partner contributions will leverage additional resources, raising the total value of the projects to $4.2 million.