The Home Depot sells a lot of great green things to make your house more energy efficient — and healthy — and while many of these products sit on the shelves waiting for consumers to pick them up, the Home Depot Foundation is installing them in affordable homes for families in need. They’ve teamed up with Habitat for Humanity and together the two organizations will be building 5,000 affordable green homes in just five years.
The Home Depot and Habitat for Humanity have formed an initiative called Partners in Sustainable Building, and they’re well on their way to completing their 5,000-home goal. They’ve built 1,500 sustainable affordable homes already, and next year another 2,400 will be constructed. 135 Habitat for Humanity affiliates in 42 states have signed on to be a part of the program, and for each home they are receiving $8,000 from The Home Depot Foundation to make sure the homes are built to EnergyStar standards and to conform to rigorous sustainable building standards.
Habitat for Humanity has been building affordable homes for families in need since 1976 — they’ve built a whopping 350,000 homes in 3,000 communities — and have previously made some great green residences on their own — like this LEED CertifiedAtlantic Avenue project in New York City. While Habitat for Humanity keeps raising affordable homes, the Home Depot foundation has pledged $400 million dollars over 10 years to build 100,000 homes and plant 3 million trees across the US. Now that’s a mission we can get behind.
+ The Home Depot Foundation
Via Mother Nature Network
Housing for the disabled with multiple chemical sensitivities, MCS is greatly needed!!! Green housing is not being provided that is affordable!! MCS now disabled 4%, 12 million US citizens. 14% are moderately disabled and another 40% are chemically sensitivitive to various degrees. PArticle board though cheaper is toxic and loaded with formaldehyde, a leading cause to trigger MCS, also known as sick building syndrome. The picture above shows a home being built with particle board! Bamboo is being promoted as “Green” but is also toxic since it is laminate flooring and made with formaldehyde and other neurotoxins. VInvyl siding is toxic and doe not let a home breathe, creates moisture problems, as well as the towns where vinyl factories exist have toxic air quality and many serious health problems.Green is more than energy efficiency. Standards in what makes a home Green are in great need! Millions with MCS are homeless or living in substandard conditions living in tents, sheds, porches, cars, motorhomes, or staying temporarily with friends and family with NO affordable options. THEre are NO MCS/Green homeless shelters. HUD has only provided two MCS housing projects, both located in CA. 1% is wheel chair disabled. MCS is federally recognized and by HUD. Though millions more are MCS disabled and MUST have GREEN less toxic housing is NOT being builts. Please make note and make a difference that can help keep millions housed and healthy!!!!