Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA) implements several Green Building practices into the homes we build, and because of that effort, our affiliate was recently honored with the Sustainability award at this year’s Building Industry Association of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties Installation and Awards Ceremony. This award is given to honorees demonstrating how to drastically reduce their carbon footprint by developing a Net Zero Community. Habitat LA homes have been built to our green building standards since 2007, including solar system functionality, which increases the affordability of our homes.
Ian Sollenberger, Managing Director at Sustainable Homes of the Future, LLC, an organization that believes in the potential of green building, and the importance of education on sustainable building practices, discovered Habitat LA after watching our Budlong Kick-Off. But he also had a more personal connection to our mission.
Ian says, “The first time I heard about Habitat for Humanity was from my grandfather. When he retired, he got involved with Habitat and building homes…and I have always wanted to get involved in some way…I was very excited to see if we could come up with some fun, outside-the-box ideas of how to join our collective passions and business interests.”
As a leader in Sustainable Building Practices, Habitat LA is among a growing number of Habitat for Humanity affiliates that provide housing for people with methods, products and processes that lessen the detrimental impacts on the health of the human and ecological environment.
Because of their shared interest in building better futures, Habitat LA’s President and CEO Erin Rank, and Senior Vice President of Community Development Darrell Simien teamed up with Ian to record a podcast that could broadcast their shared passion for Green Building and a sustainable future.
“Sustainability for us applies not only to the homes but to the home buyers and the families that we serve. We want to create homes that are sustainable and have a green footprint, but we also want to build families that are sustainable and to us that means self-sufficient,” says Erin Rank.
You can listen to the entire podcast interview here, on the Building the Future: Green Building in the New Millennium podcast.
For more information on Habitat LA’s Green Building practices, visit our website at https://www.habitatla.org/green-building.