Front Porch Initiative

Sweat and Sweat Equity in Four Marianna Homes

Partners celebrate the ribbon cutting and dedication of four new high-performance homes in Marianna, Florida.
Photo courtesy of Chipola Area Habitat for Humanity.

On a hot, sunny day exactly 511 days after breaking ground on the first of four homes in the Chipola Street Development, we gathered on July 21 to celebrate the dedication of the four completed homes. These homes represent a collaborative partnership between Chipola Area Habitat for Humanity (CAHFH), who developed the homes and managed construction; Chipola College Building Construction Technology (CCBCT), whose students received clock-hour credit while working to construct the homes; and Auburn Rural Studio, who provided the designs and technical assistance to build these high-performance homes. This collaborative also represents a nexus of needs to which organizations are working to respond: first, expanding equitable access to housing, second, providing high-performance homes that continue to benefit homeowners over the lifespan of the home, and third, growing a local workforce trained in building these high-performance homes. In addition to this tripartite collaborative, Regions Bank and Fannie Mae worked with CAHFH to ensure home affordability while simultaneously increasing CAHFH’s capacity to deliver more homes in their local communities.

Equitable Housing Access

The site for the four homes was a parcel that CAHFH had held in their portfolio for quite some time, as the narrow, sloping lot had proved difficult to develop. The benefit of the parcel, however, was its centrality to resources, including proximity to the town’s civic complex (including post office and courthouse) as well as to grocery stores. And, though the size of each individual parcel did not meet the minimum requirements of the zoning ordinance, CAHFH’s good relationship with the city allowed for them to both obtain a variance and demonstrate a method for infilling these small, in-town parcels.

On the financial side, CAHFH, Regions, and Fannie Mae worked together to pilot a process by which the sweat equity built into the houses is valued as a contribution to the downpayment. The affordability of the house is preserved via a deed restriction developed by Grounded Solutions Network and specifically designed to work with shared equity programs.

High-Performance Homes

All four homes were designed, constructed, and certified to meet ENGERGY STAR, FGBC Green Home, and FORTIFIED Home for Hurricane Gold standards! The house completed first, Buster’s House, received a final HERS score of 38; it is predicted that the house will save $697/year over a comparable home built to-code. Over the course of a 30-year mortgage, that equates to a whopping $20,910 in savings. In addition to their energy efficiency, the homes are also designed to resist damage from high winds and rain. Since Florida already has robust building codes around resilience, CAHFH was already very familiar with the concept of providing a continuous load path – meaning that the roof is tied down to the walls and the walls are tied down to the foundation, allowing the home to resist strong wind forces. In addition to the continuous load path, the homes feature impact-resistant windows and extra layers of water protection on the roof. FORTIFIED certification can potentially lead to lower insurance premiums for the homeowner, providing monthly savings in addition to increased peace of mind. This project gave us our first opportunity to look into Florida Green Building Coalition’s Green Home standard. This standard is a points-based program (similar to LEED) and seeks to address Florida-specific climactic conditions for improved efficiency, health, and resilience performance. These high-performance homes aim to provide the homeowners with safe, comfortable, and durable homes that will continue to be an asset for many years to come.

Local Workforce

Sometimes opportunities emerge out of challenges. Construction on the homes began while there will pandemic-related challenges were limiting the number of CAHFH’s volunteers – a crucial component of the Habitat social and affordability models. Around the same time, Chipola College launched a Building Construction Technology program as part of their mission of enhancing CTE (career and technical education) opportunities across the state of Florida. Timing proved advantageous for both CAHFH and Chipola College – they initiated a partnership whereby CCBCT students received clock-hour credit toward construction certifications while building houses with Habitat for Humanity. Furthermore, these students received practical experience on the construction of high-performance homes, better able to respond to climactic challenges.

Needless to say, the Front Porch Initiative team learned a ton from this project! We’re grateful to have such wonderful collaborators in the Chipola Area Habitat for Humanity team (Carmen, Isaiah, Pete, Cynthia, Jennie Anne, and Tamara) and the Chipola College Building Construction Technology team (Darwin, Scott, and the CCBCT students). Here’s to the first four of what we hope are many homes to come!

The homes in the Chipola Street development represent four different product line homes, from left to right: Buster, Dave, Joanne, and Sylvia.

Press coverage of the event:

WJHG News Channel 7: “Habitat for Humanity finished four new homes in Marianna” by Ramsey Romero | July 21, 2022

Dothan Eagle: “Ribbon cut to signal finish of Habitat for Humanity tiny homes in Marianna” by Deborah Buckhalter | July 22, 2022

Warm Welcome to the Bayou

On June 23, the Front Porch Initiative joined New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity (NOAHH) in launching a replacement housing program for a hurricane-affected community in Louisiana. Bringing disaster recovery and rebuilding to a community hit hard by Hurricane Ida on August 29, 2021, New Orleans Area Habitat announced their commitment to the town of Jean Lafitte, Louisiana, with a press event sharing the vision for rebuilding and pledging a $4.5M investment to fund the recovery effort.

New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity hosted an event launching a Hurricane Ida recovery event for interested residents of Jean Lafitte and were joined by representatives from the city and community.

At the press event, Rusty Smith joined Jean Lafitte Mayor Tim Kerner, Jr., Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng, State Representative Tim Kerner, Sr., and New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Marguerite Oestreicher in announcing the rebuilding effort. Rusty noted how energy efficiency, durability, and resilience contribute to the long-term affordability of the houses being proposed by reducing monthly utility bills and maintenance and repair expenses; how design features can contribute to positive health outcomes of the residents; and how the houses will contribute to strengthening the community fabric of Jean Lafitte.

Rural Studio’s Rusty Smith described new affordable, energy efficient homes proposed for Jean Lafitte and the benefits they will offer to residents.

According to NOAHH, more than 90% of homes in the area were damaged by Ida. Over the next two years, they aim to construct between 40 and 60 homes for property owners whose homes were destroyed by the hurricane. Built on homeowners’ existing property, Rural Studio’s energy efficient and resilient housing prototypes will be adapted to respond appropriately to the local climate and site needs. The first house will be based on Sylvia’s House, a two-bedroom model that has been adapted to include a second bathroom. To exceed base flood elevation, piles will lift the structure 10 feet above grade, creating usable space below the home.

Approximately 120 residents attended the event at the Lafitte Community Center. After the information session, residents were able to meet with NOAHH to begin the application process. The affiliate aims to limit homeowner mortgage payments to approximately $500, and fundraising is underway to establish a satellite operations base and construction warehouse in the area and to offset construction costs. Pile driving on the first replacement home began on July 27, and New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity plans to mark the anniversary of Hurricanes Ida and Katrina on August 29, 2022, with a community event. 

Press coverage of the event:

NOLA.com: “Habitat for Humanity plans 40 homes for Ida-weary Lafitte residents: ‘This means hope’” by Blake Paterson | June 24, 2022 | link

Fox8live.com: “Home building group donates $4.5 million to build homes damaged after Hurricane Ida” by Rob Masson | June 23, 2022 | link

Ribbon Cutting in Johnson City, TN

Group in front yard of home watching dedication ceremony
Representatives from the City and community gathered to celebrate the dedication of a new affordable, energy-efficient home.

On May 15, the Front Porch Initiative team celebrated a ribbon cutting with Eastern Eight Community Development Corporation (E8CDC) for a new affordable, energy efficient infill home in Johnson City, Tennessee. The project represents outcomes possible when mission-aligned partners work together; this collaboration was made possible thanks to the commitment of E8CDC, the City of Johnson City, Johnson City Housing Authority, NeighborWorks, Appalachian Service Project, and Auburn University Rural Studio.

In 2011, Eastern Eight purchased a piece of property in a well-established neighborhood only two miles from downtown Johnson City. The site fronts a tree-lined street and slopes down in the rear, with alley access and a wide view of the neighborhood. The 50-foot-wide infill lot with setbacks limiting the buildable width to 34 feet, ideal for a house in the Front Porch Product Line. E8CDC selected the two-bedroom Sylvia’s House prototype for the site, with porches addressing both the front yard and back alley. The resulting intervention matches the scale and rhythm of the existing neighborhood fabric. Durable exterior materials minimize required maintenance, and a tight building envelope with high-performance mechanical systems minimize energy required to heat and cool the home.

Aerial view of houses
The new home fits comfortably into the fabric of the existing neighborhood.

E8CDC was awarded HUD Community Development Block Grant funding from the area’s HOME Consortium to enhance local housing opportunities. E8CDC partnered with Appalachian Service Project (ASP), a non-profit builder historically focused on repairs and replacing homes in their five-state service area. When breaking ground on this project in April 2021, merely a year into the pandemic, the full impacts of rapidly rising land and housing costs, a tightening labor market, and emerging supply chain issues were not yet known, nor their effects on the affordability equation. However, E8CDC always returned to the most important question: “What does it cost if we don’t build this home, and others like it, when they are needed now, more than ever?” Now that the home is complete, it will be sold to a family in the local community.

Rural Studio is both proud and humbled to have been included in this partnership. Together we have all learned a lot on this project, and we look forward to working hard to do again and again!

Press coverage of the event:

Johnson City Press: “Eastern Eight CDC unveils new affordable housing project” by Sarah Owens | May 17, 2022

Group photo with Rural Studio team and partners in front of home

Hello, Habitat!

Last month, the Front Porch team attended the Habitat for Humanity International 2022 Affiliate Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. In collaboration with two of our long-time field test partners, Front Porch Initiative presented work from those partnerships in conference sessions. The Front Porch team also hosted a booth with our research sponsor Fannie Mae to share our housing affordability research with attendees visiting the exhibit hall. Members of the Fannie Mae Disaster Recovery & Rebuilding team encouraged passers-by to stop and learn about our work, showed off the prototype models, and, and fielded questions about the pilot investigating sweat equity valuation.

Interested attendees stopped by the booth to learn more about Front Porch Initiative and our work with partners across the Southeast.

Mark Grantham, Executive Director of Auburn Opelika Habitat for Humanity (AOHFH); David Hinson, CADC Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research; and Betsy Farrell Garcia presented ongoing research on high performance housing affordability. In 2018 and 2019, AOHFH constructed two of the Buster’s House prototypes in Opelika to beyond-code energy standards and a resilience standard. Energy consumption data from those houses, as well as a third AOHFH house built to local code, is being collected and evaluated relative to the construction details, construction cost, and usage predicted by energy models. Conclusions drawn from the collected data informs choices about where investments in improved performance produce the most return on investment. The engaged and knowledgeable audience eagerly shared valuable feedback from their experience building to high-performance standards and welcomed the findings on where best to invest in upgrades that return savings on energy performance.

Mark, David, and Betsy presented research on houses constructed in Opelika, AL, and results from the ongoing energy usage.

With Carmen Smith, Executive Director of Chipola Area Habitat for Humanity (CAHFH), and Darwin Gilmore, Dean of Workforce and Economic Development for Chipola College, Mackenzie Stagg presented an innovative collaboration born out of a shared interest in increasing equitable access to high-performance housing in a rural community. CAHFH is currently building four Front Porch Product Line houses on a site in Marianna, Florida, a town still recovering from Hurricane Michael more than two years after the storm. Front Porch initiative supplied the designs for the homes and has provided technical assistance during the project’s development and construction. Students from the Chipola College Building Construction Technology program supplement volunteer labor while earning clock-hour credit toward a degree and construction certification. These high-performance, resilient houses will increase equitable housing access, facilitate continued disaster recovery efforts, and grow the skilled workforce needed locally. Affiliates attending the session participated enthusiastically and displayed great interest in building similar partnerships in their area.

Front Porch Initiative connected with many mission-aligned Habitat affiliates interested in expanding equitable, affordable homeownership while in Atlanta, and we hope to establish new partnerships with organizations across the country. We appreciate the Fannie Mae Disaster Recovery & Rebuilding team’s invaluable presence on the exhibit floor. Together with our partners’ incredible dedication to collaboration, we continue to reach a wide audience for the work of Rural Studio.

L to R: Tamara Dourney (CAHFH), Pete Fulton (CAHFH), Scott Phelps (Chipola College), Darwin Gilmore (Chipola College), Mackenzie Stagg (AURS), Sidra Goldwater (Fannie Mae), Carmen Smith (CAHFH), Betsy Farrell Garcia (AURS), Rusty Smith (AURS), and Jennie Ann Dean (CAHFH).

We look forward to the next Affiliate Conference!

Designing for High Winds in Louisiana

New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity (NOAHH) graciously hosted the Front Porch team on a visit to advance our latest partnership, a replacement house as part of Hurricane Ida recovery efforts in fishing communities south of New Orleans, LA. Our response to this project addresses an intersection of climate hazards; the house will be designed for both hurricane-force winds and flooding.

Partners from Rural Studio and NOH4H at potential house ite
(L-R) Rusty Smith, AURS; Marguerite Oestreicher, NOAHH; Tim Kerner, Jr, Mayor; Vivian Kain, NOAHH; Tim Carpenter, Fannie Mae; Bradley Holland, NOAHH; Tim O’Rourke, NOAHH; Betsy Farrell Garcia, AURS; Mackenzie Stagg, AURS

Our first day began with a field trip of precedent projects, including a recently completed Habitat home in the Gentilly Terrace neighborhood of New Orleans. The construction team explained the aspects of the home that are new to this affiliate: a vaulted ceiling in the main living space, a second bathroom (new to their three-bedroom plan), dedicated fresh air ventilation, storage for hurricane shutters, and a second porch off the kitchen at the rear of the house. We studied the foundation of treated wood piles supporting the raised wood floor system, as this system will be employed on the proposed project.  

Investigating the pile foundation on a precedent home recently completed by NOAHH

Because the house will need to be elevated above the FEMA Base Flood Elevation for flood mitigation, we met with the structural engineer, Steve Cali, to consider strategies for supporting the house 14 feet above grade. Julie Shiyou-Woodward of Smart Home America joined the discussion to clarify structural requirements of the FORTIFIED standard and to share the benefits of certification on insurance premiums. As the last blog post referenced, increasing resilience and durability of the home through minimal up-front investments can reduce a homeowner’s insurance premiums, contributing to the long-term affordability of the home and financial stability for the homeowner. In particular, Louisiana insurance carriers offer discounts for homes certified to the FORTIFIED standard. Fannie Mae’s Disaster Recovery & Rebuilding team also met with NOAHH and the Front Porch team to share potential financing opportunities for this and future projects.

View over the bayou near a potential site

The following day, the group traveled south of New Orleans to visit a few potential project sites located in fishing communities within Plaquemines and Jefferson parishes who working to rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. As the source of 30% of Louisiana’s seafood, these communities have been described as a “working coast,” critical to the region’s economic recovery. These site visits illuminated the challenges of recovery, particularly in the face of steep flood insurance premium increases and material shortages due to supply chain issues; but community members expressed eager optimism and a fierce will to rebuild. NOAHH is working closely with the municipalities to coordinate efforts and mobilize construction crews while the Front Porch team finalizes construction documents. NOAHH aims to have the first house completed by August 29, 2022, the anniversary of hurricanes Ida and Katrina.