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Christiansburg Builder Wins National Environmental Award
Roanoke Times 3/1/07
Green Living: Affordable Housing in Blacksburg's Historic District
Roanoke Times Multimedia Slide Show
You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
- Mahatma Gandhi
eddie & kristin's story
The people Architect Colin Arnold had in mind while designing the Blacksburg duplexes are low to moderate income and first time homebuyers like Kristin deNeeve and Eddie Owens. When the couple first began looking to buy their own home, they found there were very few affordable housing options in the area. Through a partnership between CHP and the Town of Blacksburg, the duplexes were the couple’s answer. Eddie, a Virginia Tech student on the G.I. Bill, and Kristin, a Senior Graphic Designer for Virginia Tech, also participated CHPC’s National NeighborWorks® Week community cleanup. They helped landscape not only their own duplex unit, but also for their future neighbors’ homes. “When the people move in, we can go over and say, ‘Hey, we helped build all this.’” Eddie said.
“It’s not just your home that you own, but you kind of feel like you own a part of the community.” - Kristin deNeeve
Community Housing Partners Receives 2007 ENERGY STAR® Award for Excellence in Energy-Efficient Affordable Housing
Community Housing Partners One of Six National Recipients in Affordable Housing
Christiansburg, Va. - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) awarded Community Housing Partners (CHP) the 2007 ENERGY STAR Award for Excellence in Energy-Efficient Affordable Housing in recognition of its efforts to provide energy-efficient housing for low-income residents. CHP was recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 21.
CHP’s Roanoke-Lee Street Duplexes are one of six projects in this category nationwide to be recognized for utilizing energy-efficient technologies in affordable housing initiatives and educating consumers of the ENERGY STAR benefits.
“Energy efficiency is particularly important in the affordable housing sector,” said Colin Arnold, AIA, CHP’s Staff Architect. “By building homes that earn the ENERGY STAR, we are reducing utility costs and providing homes that are truly affordable to own and operate for low-income residents.”
Through a partnership with the Town of Blacksburg, the 14 units, ranging from 1,000 to 1,300 square feet, are now home to 14 first time low- to moderate-income homebuyers and their families. Each duplex unit is an ENERGY STAR Qualified new home, which means that according to the EPA, they are at least 15% more energy efficient standard homes, using substantially less energy for heating, cooling, water heating, lighting and appliances. To ensure each home’s true efficiency and durability, all systems and features were manually tested by CHP staff who are Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) certified technicians and produced energy rating scores ranging from 72-74 on all units, thereby achieving the Energy Star® Rating.
“Not only is there a need to provide affordable housing to the New River Valley, but there is also a need to provide housing that promotes a healthy environment and conserves energy and natural resources,” said Janaka Casper, CHP President and CEO. “The Town of Blacksburg has been a valuable partner in this project, in that they are pro-active in increasing environmental consciousness in the New River Valley. This award is also a recognition of their achievements.”
ENERGY STAR Awards are given to a variety of organizations to recognize their contribution to the construction of energy-efficient homes that benefit the environment, while providing homeowners with a quieter, more comfortable home, along with significant utility savings. Award winners are selected from over 9,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program. Last year alone, Americans with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved $14 billion on their energy bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 25 million vehicles.
"Partners like Community Housing Partners make it possible to offer the savings, comfort and durability of an ENERGY STAR home to everyone,” said Bill Wehrum, acting assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. “We are proud of our partners’ efforts to bring energy efficiency to the communities where each saved dollar on energy bills is so important.”
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the program offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 9,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).
