New Five-Year, $30 Million Program will help Habitat Affiliates Build More Sustainable, Energy-Efficient Housing ATLANTA, March 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Habitat for Humanity International and The Home Depot Foundation today announced a national green building initiative, Partners in Sustainable Building. The program will provide funding and resources to assist in making at least 5,000 homes built by Habitat affiliates more energy efficient and sustainable according to nationally recognized green building standards. Sustainable homes cost less to operate and maintain and have less of an impact on the environment. The Home Depot Foundation is providing $30 million in financial and in-kind support, technical resources and training to establish a foundation of green building expertise that will impact Habitat builds for years to come. The Home Depot Foundation's Partners in Sustainable Building program will provide energy-efficient and sustainable building resources for approximately 17 percent of all single- and multi-family homes built by Habitat for Humanity over the next five years. Building a home to these standards can create significant savings in annual energy bills for Habitat partner families. "This partnership will provide our affiliates with the additional resources and training they need to create homes that are more durable and energy efficient, which will make them even more affordable to our homeowners," said Jonathan T.M. Reckford, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity International. "We are truly grateful to The Home Depot Foundation for making this partnership possible, because it will improve the lives of thousands of low-income families while promoting good stewardship of our natural resources." The five-year partnership begins with a one-year pilot program with approximately 30 Habitat affiliates in a variety of climates and in rural and urban areas to best gauge the impact of the program. Future components of the program will include educational and scholarship programs. Partners in Sustainable Building is an opt-in program, which will be available across the United States early next year. Funds and resources provided by the Foundation will help Habitat affiliates expand their use of energy-efficient equipment, install more water-conserving fixtures and ensure good indoor air quality. The funding will also help Habitat affiliates secure third-party verification of nationally recognized green building standards.
