Habitat Omaha's First LEED Certified Home

USGBC Nebraska Flatwater Chapter will host several volunteer days to help with the construction of this home. These work days will be eligible for CEU credits for LEED Professionals. Watch our events calendar and stay tuned to our mailing list for more information.

From www.habitatomaha.org/ and goodwillomaha.org/: It's a status most builders dream of - a LEED Certification. This year Habitat Omaha and Goodwill's YouthBuild are striving for the Gold level certification. It will be the first Habitat Omaha LEED Certified Home in Nebraska.

So what does it mean? It means a few changes to the traditional Habitat home in order to make sure it's not just good for the new homeowner, but also good for our environment. Changes like ceramic tile flooring instead of vinyl in the entry, kitchen and bathroom will receive green building points. The location of the house is also key to gaining more LEED points. The new house is located within .05 miles of public transportation. We also receive points for developing a recycling system on the construction site. This means we have committed to diverting at least 75% the build site waste materials from the landfills.

Who we Are
The Goodwill YouthBuild program is currently working on installing the house wrap, and prepping the house for window installation. HDR, professional consultants for this project, will soon volunteer to construct the front porch and do the basement framing.

For 75 years in Omaha, Goodwill Industries has pursued its mission of changing lives and strengthening the community through education, training, and work. One piece of Goodwill’s Employment and Training arm, is YouthBuild. This program is a department of labor program, that allows youth between the ages of 16-24 to gain their GED’s while learning on the site construction skills, as they construct a home for Habitat for Humanity. In 2010 Habitat for Humanity and Goodwill’s YouthBuild program, began the planning and construction phase for their first LEED certified home Green home.

What we've Done
In this partnership with Habitat for Humanity we are building the first low income single-family home in the state of Nebraska. This project is planned to receive LEED gold status, as measured by the United States Green Building Council. (USGBC) The building methods used on this home will seek to improve the quality of homes that Habitat for Humanity is already building. In 2011, this cooperation will lead to construction of 3 LEED certified homes by Habitat and Goodwill. With increased insulation measures, and environmentally aware water fixtures, these homes will provide more durable homes for the home owners. These measures will also reduce overall energy usage and utility expenses for those living in the home.

Home Specifics
Sustainability – By building an environmentally friendly home, while staying within Habitat’s average cost margins, we are creating a model that shows the importance and practicality of building homes that have both immediate costs benefits, long term environmental impact, and are a practical next step towards the future of affordable homes in Omaha’s redeveloping communities.

Increased insulation Measures – 2 inch Foam on Exterior, Spray & Batt system inside that creates a much more efficient home seal, lowering overall utility and upkeep costs.

Durable Exterior – Fiber cement siding, and trim are installed and sealed all around the home, emphasizing the long term durability and sustainability of the home.

Waste Management – The amount of waste created in this project is limited by strict ordering and tracking the waste or specifically recycling the lumber not used in the project.

Planning – Much of the LEED for Homes building process emphasizes the use of existing lots, sites that are accessible to community resources (such as public transit, groceries, and places to work), as well as making the most of the environmental impact of the building of the home on the site and neighborhood.

Where We are Going
With the current development happening in North Omaha, this partnership feels that this area is ripe for redevelopment, specifically with more sustainable building practices. This is where our YouthBuild trainees build affordable homes now – and where our green capacity-building efforts will make the most impact for young people and their families. Through our proposed green initiative, we will train our key staff in nationally-recognized green-building standards, acquire new technology. This new level of training will then allow us to teach our trainees about home energy efficiency, augment our training curriculum, and outfit a shop for training in weatherization and much needed Green building skills. YouthBuild Omaha will target occupations in construction that see greater demand or require enhanced skills in the emerging green-building industry.

How to Get Involved
Volunteering- We regularly have volunteer days, where people can get hands on experience with Green building techniques and products.
Donating – We are always looking for new types of products, supplies, and building methods that will allow us to be more affective at both job training and construction of our homes.
Partnering – We are looking for individuals, businesses and community groups that are trying to create a network of Environmentally minded people who can move Omaha, and specifically Green affordable housing into the forefront of development and job creation in North Omaha, and Omaha’s other lower income communities.