We love to help our customers build better, especially when it’s for a good cause. This is why we are thrilled to be working with Adopt-A-Family and architect Corey W. O’Gorman of PLACE Planning & Design to certify the 14 homes that are part of the Third Avenue Homes project as green through the Florida Green Building Coalition’s certification program! Adopt-A-Family is the largest service provider for homeless families in Palm Beach County, and it’s mission is to strengthen families with children in their efforts to achieve stability and self-sufficiency by providing access to all encompassing services.
As part of its efforts, Adopt-A-Family is building a 14-house community called Third Avenue Homes. The project will be located a few blocks away from Highland Elementary School, which has one of the highest populations of homeless students in the county. The school will help Adopt-A-Family identify families in need, with the goal of breaking the cycle of homelessness.
Not only will the project provide housing for about a third of the rent of what the market would bear, but it will also offer support services such as financial literacy training, mental health services, and a computer lab and tutoring for children. The project is modeled after a successful program in Washington State where they bridged the gap between housing stability and educational outcomes in children. Matt Constantine, CEO of Adopt-A-Family, stated that “if we can demonstrate this works, maybe this is a model we can replicate in other areas…”
Groundbreaking at Third Avenue Homes Project
By certifying the homes through the Florida Green Building Coalition, RunBrook ‘s hope is that the Third Avenue Homes will have healthier indoor air quality, a more comfortable atmosphere for families, and lower operating costs, while also being environmentally friendly. According tot he FGBC, an FGBC certified home has:
lower operating costs by requiring less heating and cooling, and using less water;
increased comfort, with more even temperatures throughout the home and less drafts and better humidity control; and
improved environmental quality through builder attention to moisture control construction details, low-VOC paints and air exchange/filtration.
We wish the Third Avenue Homes project and all of the families that will benefit from it much success!