By Alex Cummings
Rockbridge County High School students in Kurt Bennett’s building trades classes are learning to build houses through Habitat for Humanity’s High School House program.
The program received a $10,000 grant from the Lowes Charitable and Education Foundation last month, the second such grant for the program. The money will be put toward new tools for the students. The rest of the money to build a house comes primarily from Habitat. Habitat homes cost about $100,000 to build but are valued at about $140,000.
The high school program, begun in 2001, has finished about nine Habitat homes. Lexington’s Catherine Nash will occupy one of the homes currently under construction when it is completed in June. Students started working on her house in January 2011.
Although Habitat homes typically take about three months to build, the High School project takes longer because students can work only during class time.
The educational nature of the program also adds some time, says Sy Hughes, development director for Rockbridge Area Habitat. For example, Bennett teaches students to install hardwood floors, rather than using Habitat’s typical laminate flooring. They also add architectural features to the homes, such as different types of counters and lighting.
In the meantime, Nash pays off the 350 “sweat equity” hours required of Habitat homeowners by working in the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. When it is finished the home will be moved from the high school campus to Greenhouse Village, off Greenhouse Road.