Habitat for Humanity is now building sustainable homes in four North Carolina counties (Catawba, Chatham, Orange, and Durham). Homes in it's Hope Crossing Project will be built to the Green Building Initiative standards and the entire community will be built as a green community, the first for any Habitat affiliate in North Carolina. These green homes will create thousands of dollars in utility savings for the average homeowner over the life of their mortgage. Habitat guarantees its home buyers’ heating and cooling bills of no more than $30 per month. However, with a Green Building certification, Habitat expands its commitment to sustainable construction practices.

Features of the green community include solar-heated water, rain barrels, a retention pond, protection of the site’s natural resources, a playground, a picnic area, a garden and a perimeter walking path. Nineteen of the 31 homes are now occupied, and the remaining homes are expected to be completed within the coming year.

Several strategies were implemented to establish the green neighborhood, and included designing a nature trail that connects residents to greenspace throughout the site; a rich and diverse landscape plan; best practices for innovative stormwater management were implemented; and bicycle and pedestrians connectivity to surrounding destinations.

The Habitat program makes loans affordable to families by providing no-interest financing in exchange for their contribution of labor to build homes for themselves and their neighbors.

For more information, visit Habitat for Humanity