EarthCraft House enables Atlanta Habitat, a nonprofit builder, to offer an affordable “green” product to their homebuyers without driving up construction costs. Atlanta Habitat’s success with the EarthCraft program is evidence that green building can be feasible for companies across the spectrum of home construction from the high-end market to more affordable homes. One of the most significant reasons why the EarthCraft House program dovetails so well with Atlanta Habitat’s mission is that it produces homes with monthly utility bills that are typically 30% lower than homes constructed using traditional building techniques. This savings means houses are affordable up-front and for many years to come.

Habitat for Humanity International, the nonprofit’s umbrella organization, led the charge in securing national home builder support, national product donations and national media attention. Atlanta Habitat was responsible for engaging local home builders and subcontractors to pull off the amazing feat of building the homes in five days, June 5-9. Builders were asked to take permitted house plans, and with skilled staff, vendors and suppliers, secure donations of materials and labor to provide the house at no cost to Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. While working on site during the five days of construction, builders were able to meet the families and involve them in building their new home. As with all builds, Atlanta Habitat identified and qualified the partner families for whom the houses were built. Ms. Virginia Vaughn, her son Charles and two grandchildren, Andrew and Anne-Marie, worked alongside crews from Centex Homes’ Atlanta Division to build their new four bedroom home in Southeast Atlanta. The home of Ms. Shenita Brewer and her two sons, Juwan and Jay, was built just up the street by a cadre of skilled Atlanta Habitat volunteers and associates from The Home Depot.

Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, one of over 1,700 U.S. affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing to Atlanta’s low-income families. Since 1983, volunteers from corporations and faith-based and civic organizations have worked in partnership with qualified homebuyers to construct quality, affordable homes, which are then purchased through no-interest, no-profit mortgages. To date, more than 850 homes have been completed. For more information about Atlanta Habitat, please visit www.atlantahabitat.org. For specific details on the Home Builders Blitz, visit www.habitat.org