The Back Story of Habitat for Humanity

Chris d Craiker ALA/NCARB

The recent passing of President Jimmy Carter has noted his participation and advocating for Habitat for Humanity, HFH. There's a lot more to the story than his constant support and endorsement of their program of building homes for low income homeownership.

It goes back to 1976 when Millard and Linda Fuller started the idea on a farm outside Americus, Georgia. The intent was to create a partnership to provide adequate shelter with volunteers to build decent affordable housing at no profit. To help perpetuate the new homes, homeowners house payments would be combined with no interest loans provided by supporters and money earned by fundraising. In 1973 the Fullers took the concept to Zahir, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, launching a successful house building program. After three years they returned to the US to fund and create Habitat for Humanity International.

HFH both builds new homes as well as works alongside families to rehabilitate or preserve existing homes that need repairs. They often partnered with older homeowners to make changes they need such as providing universal accessibility. In 1984, the President and Mrs. Carter volunteered help advocate for the organization near their home in Planes, Georgia. Later they joined as volunteers to renovate an abandoned building in New York. For over 35 years they continued to advocate, raise funds and physically and spiritually support HFH.

I discussed with Deanna Mott, the Solano-Napa HFH. So far, they have built or repaired 59 homes in Solano and Napa counties. They are currently raising funds for an upcoming 10 home project, Harmony Village and 14 homes, Victory Gardens, both in Vacaville. In Marin, HFH will build 80 affordable units for homeownership. In Sonoma, HFH will break ground on 4 homes in Sebastopol. Future homeowners will participate alongside volunteers to build and pay for construction.

I have my own story of working with HFH. Some years ago, our Terra Linda Rotary added HFH to its list of community projects. The specific task was to assist in the construction of some homes in San Francisco. Many of us got on a bus early on a Saturday morning to go in and assist in the construction, mostly finishing the siding, trim and providing some waterproof protection. As an architect, I know a lot about construction but I haven't swung a hammer since I was in college. There were at least 5 workers on site that knew what to do and helped instruct us on how to properly install the siding and trim. There were future homeowners there as well, volunteering and learning how a house is put together. It's more than nails and hammers. It takes skills and knowledge. It was a huge learning experience for which I’m grateful.

At 3:00, the workers got on a bus that took them back to the State prison from where they were released to volunteer as skilled carpenters. For whatever violations for which they were in prison, they were invaluable to the construction process.

It takes all kinds to build a house.

Ask the Architex

A big question that everyone asks me is how to measure and control carbon emissions in construction. We know we are all made of carbon- that’s what life is all about, and yet it’s the burning of carbon that is our real adversary. The goal is to reduce our carbon emissions associated with any building to none or less than 10%. It also means that building must continue to achieve “near zero” emissions forever. Unfortunately, measuring this is as partisan as a political convention. Eliminating all gas appliances will raise screams from some industries and while our architectural industry, generally agrees with the technical definition of “zero-carbon”, it can’t readily agree on how to achieve it.

Let’s take going all-electric as a potential future. Everyone thinks that’s great, but in 2020 49% of California’s power is generated by fossil fuel powered plants creating CO2. Even electric cars are dependent upon gas-generated electricity from the house plug-in. Solar panels and deluxe batteries have big production carbon footprints. One has to look at our total footprint.

Chris d Craiker ALA/NCARB Has a hybrid gas and electric car and the 3rd hybrid car sold in California in 2000 keeping flexible.