Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia, in partnership with Habitat families, donors and volunteers, has completed the first three of seven “green” homes on the 4200 block of W. Stiles Street in the East Parkside neighborhood of West Philadelphia. These will be the first LEED-certified affordable houses constructed in Philadelphia, on track to receive a Silver LEED certification.

The greatest environmental impact of these homes is their energy-efficiency. These homeowners are expected to need and use 65% less natural gas, electricity, and water than typically built houses of comparable size due to the energy efficiencies built into the homes.

Other features of these homes were included for their overall benefit to the environment. The landscaped rainwater gardens in the rear yards reduce storm water runoff. Bamboo flooring is used on the first floor as well as recycled and recyclable carpeting on the upper floors.

In addition, all construction waste is weighed, sorted, and over 85% recycled. Habitat construction staff learned a great deal about green building in the production of the houses on Stiles Street and now uses those products, methods, and skills in all of its homes. A study by Brain Alessi, LEED AP of The Sheward Partnership confirms that Habitat Philadelphia also builds its rehabilitated houses to LEED standards.

Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia launched Green Affordable Philadelphia, a LEED for Homes pilot program, to provide the highest quality affordable housing to its partner families while enhancing its environmental stewardship. Seven homes on the 4200 block of Stiles Street are the first affordable houses in Philadelphia being built to Silver LEED standards. In addition to lessening the environmental impact of house construction, green building ensures that Habitat homeowners will spend up to 65% less on utilities than they would in typically built homes.

The Habitat homes on Stiles Street use multiple sustainable technologies:

• Insulated concrete forms - structural, insulated polystyrene blocks filled with concrete composed with recycled lightweight ash that achieves insulation rating of R-30, upgraded from standard R-19

• Spray-foam insulation on the underside of roofs, reducing condensation, extending the life of the roof sub-deck, and providing insulation value of R-40, upgraded from standard of R-30

• Oversized windows to increase natural daylighting and reduce use of electric lighting

• “Solatubes,” tubular skylights that bring natural daylighting into the interior of the house on lower floors, reducing dependency on electric lighting

• Bamboo flooring on the first floor

• Recycled and recyclable carpeting on the upper floors

• Green certified kitchen cabinets from local sourcing

• Energy Star efficient appliances

• Landscaped rainwater garden in rear yards to reduce storm water runoff

• Recycled composite materials for construction of porches and fencing

• Concrete “Hardiplank” siding on rear, south-facing exterior walls

• Dual-flush toilets to conserve water • All construction waste is weighed, sorted, and over 85% recycled

Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia builds and rehabilitates houses and neighborhoods by providing simple, decent, affordable homes in partnership with families in need. Habitat partner families, living in substandard or overcrowded conditions and typically earning $15-35,000 a year, contribute 350 hours of “sweat equity” in return for a zero-interest mortgage. But as Mayor Michael Nutter stated at the ribbon-cutting of the first three completed homes, it makes no sense to help someone purchase an affordable home if they can’t afford to heat it. Habitat Philadelphia agrees that energy-efficient homes are crucial to the financial stability of low-income homeowners and thus has implemented sustainable building techniques learned on Stiles Street in all of its new construction and rehabs. For example, the organization now uses spray-foam insulation on all roofs, tight envelope building, and Hardiplank siding in its homes. A study by Brain Alessi, LEED AP of The Sheward Partnership confirms that Habitat Philadelphia builds its rehabilitated houses to LEED standards.

Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia works with many partners – donors, volunteers, and partner families – to build affordable houses. For Green Affordable Philadelphia, Habitat worked with the Delaware Valley Green Building Council and the Energy Coordinating Agency. House Sponsors (donating $50,000 or more) included GlaxoSmithKline, JP Morgan Chase, Lincoln Financial Foundation, Patrick J. Monaghan Foundation, Nationwide, and US Airways. Building materials and labor were donated by 21 businesses. More than 800 volunteers have worked on-site.

For Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia, the most important result of the Green Affordable Philadelphia LEED for Homes pilot is that seven families will no longer live in overcrowded or substandard conditions. Families that earn too little to afford even rent on the open market are now living in their own homes. (Currently, three families have moved into their completed homes on Stiles Street. The other four families will move in upon completion of their homes, which is currently slated for spring 2009 pending funding.) A decent place to live creates stability, launching families into a promising cycle of better health and a more financially secure future.

A Habitat house offers warmth in the winter, physical comfort, protection from diseases, especially asthma, and emotional reassurance. With greater stability and improved health, children do better in school and parents can turn their attention to improving their own educational and employment opportunities.

When families are thriving and secure, they have the ability and the motivation to involve themselves in efforts to improve the community that they’ve invested in through their purchase of a home. Homeownership stabilizes and improves low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Strong neighborhoods protect Habitat homeowners’ investment while improving the city as a whole.

All Habitat Philadelphia houses are built on blocks where the existing infrastructure of roads, sidewalks, and utilities are in place rather than building on “greenfield” sites that remove open space. All houses are built in locations that also provide quality of life benefits such as close proximity to public transportation and neighborhood shopping.

The greatest environmental impact of the Stiles Street homes is their energy-efficiency. These homeowners are expected to need and use 65% less natural gas, electricity, and water than typically built houses of comparable size due to the energy efficiencies built into the homes. Better insulation reduces the need for heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. Energy Star appliances reduce energy usage year-round. Solatubes and oversized windows bring more natural daylight into the homes to reduce the need for electric lighting. Dual flush toilets conserve water. All of these efficiencies benefit the environment and reduce homeowners’ utility bills.

Other features of these homes were included for their overall benefit to the environment. The landscaped rainwater gardens in the rear yards reduce storm water runoff. Bamboo flooring is used on the first floor as well as recycled and recyclable carpeting on the upper floors. In addition, all construction waste is weighed, sorted, and over 85% recycled. Habitat construction staff learned a great deal about green building in the production of the houses on Stiles Street and now uses those products, methods, and skills in all of its homes. A study by Brain Alessi, LEED AP of The Sheward Partnership confirms that Habitat Philadelphia also builds its rehabilitated houses to LEED standards.