First Habitat Home Built in Ohio with Vocational Students

Residents and community leaders from South Mount Vernon, OH, recently turned out to celebrate a first of its kind concrete Habitat for Humanity home being built through a unique partnership, reports NRMCA Senior Director, Building Innovations, Donn Thompson. Habitat for Humanity, Knox County, Ohio obtained 12 home sites through a county land bank and labor for the project is being provided by the county career center, with high school juniors and seniors learning while building with insulating concrete forms.

The concrete home represents another example of the continuing nationwide partnership between NRMCA and Habitat for Humanity with the goal of building at least one concrete habitat home in each of 50 states, Thompson said. Representatives from various additional supporting organizations including industry affiliate Ohio Concrete, the state’s Welcome Home Ohio program and the Knox County Career Center addressed event attendees. Mary Kate Hastings, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, indicated the project is an example of the $31.5 million that has been invested by the state to build 370 homes across 20 counties. Colby Clippinger, director of the vocational program commented, “The insulating concrete forms being used to build these houses are providing resilient construction for the community, and the potential for resilient construction careers for the participating students.”

A total of 17 local partners are making this project possible, including NRMCA Producer member Ellis Brothers which is supplying the Fox Blocks insulating concrete forms and ready mixed concrete for the home.

For more information, contact Lisa Weaver-Moon, Ohio Concrete Central/SE promotion director at lisa@ohioconcrete.org or Donn Thompson at dthompson@nrmca.org.