Milford Beacon | April 16, 2009
Delaware’s largest non-profit builder of affordable housing for lower income families has received a Federal award for its construction of energy efficient homes in Lincoln, and a senior rental community in Felton, during 2008.
Milford, Delaware: Delaware’s largest non-profit builder of affordable housing for lower income families has received a Federal award for its construction of energy efficient homes in Lincoln, and a senior rental community in Felton, during 2008.
The award to MHDC (formerly Milford Housing Development Corp.) of Milford, was the only one made to an organization in Delaware during the 2009 Energy Star competition, and just one of three given in the mid-Atlantic region. The award was presented by the U.S. Departments of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
This summer, MHDC will complete its 100th “self-help” home for Delaware families. Since 2006, each home produced by MHDC has earned the Energy Star seal of approval. According to David Moore, MHDC President and CEO, the use of Energy Star rated appliances and building guidelines saves each MHDC homeowner an average of $500 every year in utility costs
Brian Ng, award coordinator for the Energy Star program, said that “the work of MHDC exemplifies invaluable commitment and dedication to the Energy Star program by providing energy efficient, affordable housing to an underserved population.”
Ng said that this is particularly important because “many lower income households spend a disproportionate amount of income on utility costs.”
There were just three Energy Star Awards made in the six-state Region that includes Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia. The MHDC award was one of only 16 Regional Awards presented nationwide to both for-profit and non-profit recipients.
The Energy Star program was created in 1992 as a voluntary labeling effort to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Today, more than 60 product categories qualify for the Energy Star rating, saving American consumers some $19 billion in 2008. Energy Star advocates more widespread use of technological innovations and it provides the home building assessment tools used to independently qualify new MHDC homes as being Energy Star rated.
MHDC currently has more than a dozen affordable housing projects at various stages of development, representing enough homes and units to serve 1,000 more lower Delaware residents over the coming several years. Projects under construction include Manchester Manor in Laurel, (10 homes), Cedar Creek Landing in Lincoln (five homes), Harmony Hill in Camden (31 homes) and a partnership with Delaware State University at Coverdale Crossroads (three homes).
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