By Tracy House

The walls are up, the appliances are in place and volunteers are putting the finishing touches on three new LEED Platinum-certified houses that will be occupied by new owners in the coming weeks.

Three lots of land, donated by the City of Tempe, have been developed by Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona (HFHCAZ) with the help of the Ramsey Social Justice Foundation (RSJF), Salt River Project (SRP), and East Valley Catholic Coalition.  Habitat for Humanity is an organization that builds and renovates affordable homes in partnership with families in need.

Jenny Norton, co-founder of RSJF with her husband, Bob Ramsey, credits Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell, Tempe Councilman Corey Woods, Tempe city staffer Larry Schmalz, and Director of the Tempe Community Action Agency Beth Fiorenza, with being instrumental in obtaining the land for the new homes.

“We were just thrilled because Tempe is our hometown,” Norton said.

The Ramsey Social Justice Foundation

Norton and Ramsey started their social justice foundation to serve the underrepresented in four main areas—education, health care, home assistance/affordable housing and global stewardship, or taking care of our planet. Their dedication has been instrumental in facilitating 50 green builds throughout Central Arizona.

“Habitat for Humanity and the Ramsey Foundation built the very first LEED Platinum level, completely green, sustainable, affordable home in the country,” Norton said. The City of Glendale donated the land for the home, which was built in 2008.

A key component of what RSJF does is build affordable housing, but Norton said HFHCAZ’s plan had some challenges to work through. While the mortgage payments were affordable, utilities bills were so high during the summer months, the homeowners couldn’t afford to run the air conditioning. “We’d like to keep the utilities down to about $15 per month. That is our ideal,” she said.

Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona

Todd Rogers, Chief Strategy Officer of HFHCAZ, said there is an incentive to keeping the cost of utilities down for the families. “We know our families are much more able to afford the mortgages when they don’t have to stress about the utilities,” he said, explaining that some families are hit with medical or other expenses and then must choose what to pay and what not to.

Since 1984, HFHCAZ has built 864 homes and expects to complete 70 more this year. The number of homes that have been built to meet the criteria for LEED Silver or greater certification is 197. Because they are a nonprofit, however, HFHCA cannot afford to pay the extra funds required to get the official certification. Thanks to the generosity of donors like RSJF, 77 of those 197 homes—including the three LEED Platinum homes in Tempe—have actually been certified.

Sweat equity program

The three new homes in Tempe, one on Stratton Lane and two located on Randall Drive, are part of the HFHCAZ sweat equity program. “All of our homeowners on a new build have to do 400 hours of sweat equity,” Rogers said. “Sweat equity is a component of anything we do.” Whether the home is being renovated or built, all homeowners are involved. On the Stratton Lane build, the Andrade family took part in raising every wall, and painting everything—they were there every week, Rogers said.

Part of those required hours include educational classes focused on the importance of energy efficiency, including discussions from setting the thermostat to keeping doors and windows closed to increase energy efficiency when the systems are running. Going through the educational process, homeowners learn how they can save on electric bills.

From low VOC (volatile organic compound) paints to Energy Star appliances, every house that HFHCAZ renovates and every house that is built qualifies for LEED Platinum Silver certification and Energy Star 3.0 according to Rogers. While the homes can’t all be certified because of the cost, hard work and dedication go into getting homes to that level.

Rogers credits donors with a green passion for enabling HFHCAZ to attain high levels of efficiency in these latest builds. SRP and American Solar donated solar systems to enrich those achievements so that money was not taken from anywhere else, and donors like RSJF kicked it up a notch with extra funds to help achieve the LEED Platinum certification.

“When vacant lots and abandoned properties are converted into affordable housing options, we are not only providing homeownership opportunities, but revitalizing our neighborhoods,” Mitchell said. “By partnering with organizations like HFHCAZ, the City of Tempe is able to leverage our resources to maximize the positive impact on the community.”

Tracy House is a Valley-based freelance writer. Contact her at tracy@azmodernmom.com
Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity.