Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity Goes Green
The Dallas chapter of Habitat for Humanity International was founded in 1985. Building more than 70 homes each year, the Dallas Habitat for Humanity is the second largest home builder in the city. This organization enlists volunteers to help build homes for underprivileged families in the community. In place of a down payment, the future homeowners must complete 400 hours of volunteer work on their house. They pay no interest on their Habitat Humanity loan to help keep costs low and earn more equity. Recently, the Dallas chapter decided to adopt new green building standards for new homes. The Frazier Courtyard Community will have 30 LEED certified homes and 10 LEED silver certified homes. The LEED rating system is a measurement of a building’s sustainability with qualifications set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council. There are five categories measured for LEED certification, including sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. LEED certified home can be classified as Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum.The goal behind the green home initiative of Habitat for Humanity is to provide families with homes that are sustainable, require less maintenance, and will have lower energy costs because of the more efficient materials and designs of their homes. In 2006 and 2007 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the Dallas area Habitat for Humanity the Energy Star Outstanding Achievement Award. In 2009, they were awarded the Excellence in Environmental Practices Award by the Center for Nonprofit Management. This organization is putting great effort into ensuring that all of its homes are operating as efficiently as possible, doing their part to make Dallas a more sustainable city.