Lowe’s employees make an impact at the Carter Work Project

Lowe’s employees have a longstanding history of participating in Habitat’s Carter Work Project, and they are continuing their enduring support at the 2023 event by helping to build homes and community in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Thanks to the generous financial and volunteer support of sponsors like Lowe’s, Habitat for Humanity’s Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project has helped change lives and build community for nearly four decades. Lowe’s has a longstanding history of participating in the annual event and has committed US$1 million to support the Carter Work Project in Charlotte, North Carolina, this year.

More than 175 Lowe’s employees will be on the ground volunteering in Charlotte, including first-time Carter Work Project volunteer Randy Alexander, director of community relations at Lowe’s. “I’ll be out there throughout the week with a hammer and a hard hat,” says Randy, who has also volunteered with Habitat locally. “I can’t wait to lock arms with my fellow red vest associates and others who are giving back within our community.”

Lowe’s is headquartered just down the road from Charlotte in nearby Mooresville, and its volunteers have made a big impact locally on affordable housing. In Charlotte, there’s even a street – Red Vest Way – lined with Habitat Charlotte Region homes whose name was inspired by the distinctive red vests worn by Lowe’s associates. Volunteers from Lowe’s dedicated nearly 600 hours to help families build those houses.

“Over the years that we’ve partnered with Habitat locally, we’ve come close to 10,000 volunteer hours, which is significant,” says Randy. “We hear from our associates that volunteering with Habitat is one of the most meaningful and impactful ways for them to give back to their community.”

“The day that keys are handed over to these families and their lives are forever impacted in a positive way is why we’re all here doing this.”
— Randy Alexander, director of community relations at Lowe’s

Julie Yenichek, senior director of community relations at Lowe’s, volunteered during the last Carter Work Project, held in Nashville, Tennessee. She’s excited to volunteer alongside homeowners who will be living in Habitat Charlotte Region’s large-scale affordable housing neighborhood, The Meadows at Plato Price. “For Lowe’s and our colleagues in the greater Charlotte area, it’s going to be a really incredible week for all of us to come together and serve our community,” she says.

Since 2003, Lowe’s had donated more than $92 million to Habitat and over the next two years will commit $6 million to help more than 1,000 families and older adults make critical repairs and modifications to their homes.

“As a home improvement company, Lowe’s is uniquely positioned to partner with Habitat,” Julie says. “And we’re looking forward to continuing our work with Habitat during the Carter Work Project to make an impact in Charlotte where affordable housing is a big issue.”

Randy is also eager to see how the new homes built in The Meadows at Plato Price neighborhood will make a difference in the community. “The day that keys are handed over to these families and their lives are forever impacted in a positive way is why we’re all here doing this,” says Randy. “It’s going to be transformative for the Charlotte community and the families who will live in these homes.”

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Two Lowe's employees in hard hats and red vests hammer on Carter Work Project 2023 build site.

Lowe’s employees make an impact at the Carter Work Project

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Lowe's employees in red vests hammering on build site for Carter Work Project 2023

Cost of Home searchable policy database

Urban Institute developed a searchable database of the policy successes and systems changes influenced by local and state Habitat organizations in the first four years of the Cost of Home advocacy campaign.

Building a thriving neighborhood where a segregation-era school once stood

Carter Work Project volunteers lend a hand to the Charlotte community’s work building a thriving neighborhood at the historic site where an all-Black, segregation-era school called Plato Price stood. The once-empty lot is being transformed into an affordable, vibrant neighborhood with single-family homes, walking paths, nature areas and a community meeting space. 

 

Building a thriving neighborhood where a segregation-era school once stood

Recognizing innovative design solutions

Habitat for Humanity designs homes that are as unique, creative and strong as the people who live in them. The 2023 Habitat House Design Contest, generously sponsored for a third year by Simpson Strong-Tie, recognizes 10 Habitat affiliates for their remarkable designs across a range of categories, including affordability, sustainability and more.

Habitat for Humanity designs homes that are as unique, creative and strong as the people who live in them. Whether it’s creating veteran-inclusive spaces in New Jersey, maximizing land use in California or constructing hurricane-resistant residences in Florida, Habitat affiliates in the U.S. design innovative homes to best serve their communities.

The annual Habitat House Design Contest, generously sponsored for a third year by Simpson Strong-Tie, recognizes Habitat affiliates for their excellence in design across a range of categories, including accessibility, affordability, durability and many more. 

Read on to learn more about the 2023 winning designs.

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Design of the Year: Achieving new lows in energy efficiency

In 2022, the average American home scored a 58 on the Home Energy Rating System, a standard that assesses residential energy efficiency. Dallas Area Habitat built a home that earned a HERS score of -13, meaning the home is putting more energy back onto the power grid than it is consuming.

Carmen Holmes, Dallas Area Habitat’s senior vice president of development, says the affiliate achieved this by using eco-friendly design features, including advanced foam insulation, solar panels on the roof and smart window configuration to maximize natural light.

The home’s energy-efficient design will potentially help the homeowner save significantly on utility bills each year, freeing the family to invest in other areas of their lives.

Best in Accessibility: Helping homeowners age in place

The rugged, mountainous landscape in Asheville, North Carolina, has forced developers to build multi-level homes on steep grades. As a result, the city’s housing stock is often not suitable for aging adults. Asheville Area Habitat launched its Aging in Place program in 2019 to build accessible homes that enable older adults to “stay in their homes as long as possible,” says Sumaya El-Attar, the affiliate’s construction administrator.

The affiliate worked with an architecture company to design a one-bedroom, single-story townhome with wide doors, an accessible bathroom and several turnabouts for wheelchairs to easily maneuver around the home. The model is set aside for residents who are at least 55 years old.

The first eight of these townhomes were built in Asheville Area Habitat’s New Heights neighborhood, a diverse 20-acre community that will be home to 97 homes of varying designs when construction is complete.

Best in Multifamily: Maximizing space and building with density in mind

The San Francisco Bay Area experiences a host of affordable housing challenges, including high construction costs and limited availability of undeveloped land. “It’s hard not to be emotional about the housing crisis in California,” says Melanie Mintenko, project manager at Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley. “The idea of homeownership is well beyond reach for many people.”

Esperanza Place, the affiliate’s new multi-family development in Walnut Creek, California, will bring 42 affordable units to an area with a dire shortage of affordable housing options. Phase 1 is scheduled for completion in 2024, and the entire development is expected to be finished in early 2026. The project will include a mix of energy-efficient one- to four-bedroom apartments ranging from 800 to 1,400 square feet. The 2-acre property abuts an expansive recreational trail and is within walking distance to a transit center, hospital, schools, restaurants and shops.

Melanie says building with density in mind is the best way to expand affordable homeownership opportunities in the region. “In an area like this, where there isn’t a lot of space left to do new construction, the more density we can fit in, the better.”

Best in Sustainability: Revitalizing an aging property

Habitat Greater Boston is partnering with Adaptiv, a local planning and architecture nonprofit, to reimagine an aging property in the city’s Roslindale neighborhood. The two organizations are repurposing an existing single-family house into two units and building a second two-family home in the back of the property. Construction is underway on the four units, which will feature solar panels, electrical heat pumps and energy recovery ventilators to maximize energy efficiency.

While Habitat Greater Boston and Adaptiv focus on building the sustainable homes, the city of Boston is constructing a boardwalk adjacent to the homes to connect the neighborhood directly to the Roslindale Wetlands, a public wetland bordering the property. The project included extensive input from the community, who advocated for the redevelopment to include affordable housing and a walkway to the urban wild.

Affiliate Choice: An eco-friendly alternative to concrete

Concrete is one of the construction materials with the highest carbon footprint in the building industry. Greater Jackson Habitat’s quest to build a carbon-neutral home meant the affiliate had to find an alternative to building the foundation with concrete. David Behnke, Greater Jackson Habitat’s construction director, explains that the Michigan affiliate designed a wood foundation that sits atop strong, compacted cut stone. A sturdy foam layer is then laid on the wood foundation to further fortify the flooring structure.

This alternative reduces the environmental footprint of construction while still adhering to Habitat’s high standard for quality homebuilding. “We want to be all green. The younger generation is concerned about what’s going to be down their path. We build these houses so that they’ll be here for 150 years,” David says. 

Best in Hazard: Preparing for a disaster

Habitat of the Middle Keys in Marathon, Florida, built eight new affordable homes designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes and sustained winds of up to 181 miles per hour. The duplex-style homes are all-concrete and elevated more than 12 feet off the ground. They’re also equipped with metal roofing and strong trusses designed to protect the homes during intense storms.

“We’ve got to build as strong as we can,” says Chris Todd Young, the affiliate’s executive director. “By us taking that leap in the beginning and paying more to have the homes be resilient, we’re saving the homeowners in the long run.” The eight homes will make up the Bell Haven community, which also includes a new Habitat ReStore, the first for the affiliate.

Best in Innovation: Revamping an integral community space 

When a brick fell from the Albert Lawson Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall in 2019 in Passaic, New Jersey, the VFW members called Passaic County Habitat to investigate the building’s condition. They surveyed the building and deemed the hall unsalvageable. The city, the VFW post and Passaic County Habitat came together to demolish the dilapidated structure and build a new VFW hall that would also include four affordable housing units on the second story.

Passaic County Habitat led construction on the multi-purpose building, which includes a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments atop a spacious VFW Hall equipped with an industrial kitchen and ample meeting space. One of the homeowners is a member of the Albert Lawson VFW Post, offering him convenient access to fellow VFW members and events.

 

Best in Affordability: Keeping housing costs down

Despite global supply chain challenges, inflation and rising construction costs, Grand Island Area Habitat still builds at the same cost per square foot as they did in 2019. Alyssa Heagy, executive director of the Nebraska-based affiliate, says this is possible because of cost-effective changes they made to their floor plans, like eliminating wasted space.

They also keep construction costs down by partnering with the Grand Island Senior High School’s Career Pathways Institute. For the last eight years, the junior class in the construction pathway program has built a home, including this simple and affordable two-bedroom home that won Best in Affordability. 

Best in Equity and Inclusion: Scaling homebuilding in an underserved neighborhood

As the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, scales its efforts to revitalize disinvested neighborhoods, they’ve partnered with Habitat Greater Fort Wayne to accelerate affordable homebuilding. “We’re blessed and fortunate to be part of their housing solution,” says Jeff Bredemeier, director of construction.

In March 2023, the city transferred enough residential lots for the affiliate to build 32 affordable homes in Renaissance Pointe, a historically underserved neighborhood in southeast Fort Wayne. Jeff says they expect to build 16 new homes in Renaissance Pointe by May 2024, many of which will feature Habitat Greater Fort Wayne’s new four-bedroom, two-bathroom design. 

Best in Durability: Building a fortified home

Habitat North Central Connecticut adapted its standard three-bedroom build to construct an ultra-durable, all-concrete home in partnership with the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association. Kris McKelvie, construction director, says the entire house was built using insulated concrete forms, a construction system that uses foam to reinforce concrete and create a strong, well-insulated structure.

This is Habitat North Central Connecticut’s first home to achieve FORTIFIED Gold status, the highest mark for the national standard for resilience. Kris says the homeowners — a single mother and her son — have “peace of mind” knowing their home is sturdy and secure.

Design of the Year: Achieving new lows in energy efficiency

In 2022, the average American home scored a 58 on the Home Energy Rating System, a standard that assesses residential energy efficiency. Dallas Area Habitat built a home that earned a HERS score of -13, meaning the home is putting more energy back onto the power grid than it is consuming.

Carmen Holmes, Dallas Area Habitat’s senior vice president of development, says the affiliate achieved this by using eco-friendly design features, including advanced foam insulation, solar panels on the roof and smart window configuration to maximize natural light.

The home’s energy-efficient design will potentially help the homeowner save significantly on utility bills each year, freeing the family to invest in other areas of their lives.

Best in Accessibility: Helping homeowners age in place

The rugged, mountainous landscape in Asheville, North Carolina, has forced developers to build multi-level homes on steep grades. As a result, the city’s housing stock is often not suitable for aging adults. Asheville Area Habitat launched its Aging in Place program in 2019 to build accessible homes that enable older adults to “stay in their homes as long as possible,” says Sumaya El-Attar, the affiliate’s construction administrator.

The affiliate worked with an architecture company to design a one-bedroom, single-story townhome with wide doors, an accessible bathroom and several turnabouts for wheelchairs to easily maneuver around the home. The model is set aside for residents who are at least 55 years old.

The first eight of these townhomes were built in Asheville Area Habitat’s New Heights neighborhood, a diverse 20-acre community that will be home to 97 homes of varying designs when construction is complete.

Best in Multifamily: Maximizing space and building with density in mind

The San Francisco Bay Area experiences a host of affordable housing challenges, including high construction costs and limited availability of undeveloped land. “It’s hard not to be emotional about the housing crisis in California,” says Melanie Mintenko, project manager at Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley. “The idea of homeownership is well beyond reach for many people.”

Esperanza Place, the affiliate’s new multi-family development in Walnut Creek, California, will bring 42 affordable units to an area with a dire shortage of affordable housing options. Phase 1 is scheduled for completion in 2024, and the entire development is expected to be finished in early 2026. The project will include a mix of energy-efficient one- to four-bedroom apartments ranging from 800 to 1,400 square feet. The 2-acre property abuts an expansive recreational trail and is within walking distance to a transit center, hospital, schools, restaurants and shops.

Melanie says building with density in mind is the best way to expand affordable homeownership opportunities in the region. “In an area like this, where there isn’t a lot of space left to do new construction, the more density we can fit in, the better.”

Best in Sustainability: Revitalizing an aging property

Habitat Greater Boston is partnering with Adaptiv, a local planning and architecture nonprofit, to reimagine an aging property in the city’s Roslindale neighborhood. The two organizations are repurposing an existing single-family house into two units and building a second two-family home in the back of the property. Construction is underway on the four units, which will feature solar panels, electrical heat pumps and energy recovery ventilators to maximize energy efficiency.

While Habitat Greater Boston and Adaptiv focus on building the sustainable homes, the city of Boston is constructing a boardwalk adjacent to the homes to connect the neighborhood directly to the Roslindale Wetlands, a public wetland bordering the property. The project included extensive input from the community, who advocated for the redevelopment to include affordable housing and a walkway to the urban wild.

Affiliate Choice: An eco-friendly alternative to concrete

Concrete is one of the construction materials with the highest carbon footprint in the building industry. Greater Jackson Habitat’s quest to build a carbon-neutral home meant the affiliate had to find an alternative to building the foundation with concrete. David Behnke, Greater Jackson Habitat’s construction director, explains that the Michigan affiliate designed a wood foundation that sits atop strong, compacted cut stone. A sturdy foam layer is then laid on the wood foundation to further fortify the flooring structure.

This alternative reduces the environmental footprint of construction while still adhering to Habitat’s high standard for quality homebuilding. “We want to be all green. The younger generation is concerned about what’s going to be down their path. We build these houses so that they’ll be here for 150 years,” David says. 

Best in Hazard: Preparing for a disaster

Habitat of the Middle Keys in Marathon, Florida, built eight new affordable homes designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes and sustained winds of up to 181 miles per hour. The duplex-style homes are all-concrete and elevated more than 12 feet off the ground. They’re also equipped with metal roofing and strong trusses designed to protect the homes during intense storms.

“We’ve got to build as strong as we can,” says Chris Todd Young, the affiliate’s executive director. “By us taking that leap in the beginning and paying more to have the homes be resilient, we’re saving the homeowners in the long run.” The eight homes will make up the Bell Haven community, which also includes a new Habitat ReStore, the first for the affiliate.

Best in Innovation: Revamping an integral community space 

When a brick fell from the Albert Lawson Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall in 2019 in Passaic, New Jersey, the VFW members called Passaic County Habitat to investigate the building’s condition. They surveyed the building and deemed the hall unsalvageable. The city, the VFW post and Passaic County Habitat came together to demolish the dilapidated structure and build a new VFW hall that would also include four affordable housing units on the second story.

Passaic County Habitat led construction on the multi-purpose building, which includes a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments atop a spacious VFW Hall equipped with an industrial kitchen and ample meeting space. One of the homeowners is a member of the Albert Lawson VFW Post, offering him convenient access to fellow VFW members and events.

 

Best in Affordability: Keeping housing costs down

Despite global supply chain challenges, inflation and rising construction costs, Grand Island Area Habitat still builds at the same cost per square foot as they did in 2019. Alyssa Heagy, executive director of the Nebraska-based affiliate, says this is possible because of cost-effective changes they made to their floor plans, like eliminating wasted space.

They also keep construction costs down by partnering with the Grand Island Senior High School’s Career Pathways Institute. For the last eight years, the junior class in the construction pathway program has built a home, including this simple and affordable two-bedroom home that won Best in Affordability. 

Best in Equity and Inclusion: Scaling homebuilding in an underserved neighborhood

As the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, scales its efforts to revitalize disinvested neighborhoods, they’ve partnered with Habitat Greater Fort Wayne to accelerate affordable homebuilding. “We’re blessed and fortunate to be part of their housing solution,” says Jeff Bredemeier, director of construction.

In March 2023, the city transferred enough residential lots for the affiliate to build 32 affordable homes in Renaissance Pointe, a historically underserved neighborhood in southeast Fort Wayne. Jeff says they expect to build 16 new homes in Renaissance Pointe by May 2024, many of which will feature Habitat Greater Fort Wayne’s new four-bedroom, two-bathroom design. 

Best in Durability: Building a fortified home

Habitat North Central Connecticut adapted its standard three-bedroom build to construct an ultra-durable, all-concrete home in partnership with the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association. Kris McKelvie, construction director, says the entire house was built using insulated concrete forms, a construction system that uses foam to reinforce concrete and create a strong, well-insulated structure.

This is Habitat North Central Connecticut’s first home to achieve FORTIFIED Gold status, the highest mark for the national standard for resilience. Kris says the homeowners — a single mother and her son — have “peace of mind” knowing their home is sturdy and secure.

Illustration of black and white house plans.

Habitat House Design Contest: Building a solid foundation

By design, Habitat for Humanity homes provide a strong foundation for families to flourish. During our inaugural Habitat House Design Contest in 2020, generously sponsored by Simpson Strong-Tie, more than 100 Habitat affiliates submitted their plans for sustainable, resilient homes to help families in their communities thrive.

Read more
Habitat House design contest

Habitat houses: Recognizing best-in-class designs

From building resilient, hurricane-proof homes in Florida to prototyping with a 3D-printed home in Virginia, Habitat affiliates in the U.S. seek innovative solutions to local, pressing needs. The 2021 Habitat House Design Contest, generously sponsored for a second year by Simpson Strong-Tie, invited local affiliates to submit their home designs across a range of categories, including equity, multifamily, sustainability and many more. 

Learn more
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Habitat House Design Contest 2023
Water color-style rendering of sustainable home design

Recognizing innovative design solutions

Winners of the 2023 annual Habitat House Design Contest

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Illustration of a neighborhood
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