Missoula’s homeWORD Recognized for Blending Sustainability and Affordability

By Kerry McMannis, 10-31-06

In a world of pricey Prius’ and four-dollar-a-pound organic apples, “green” and affordable rarely seem synonymous. But it can be done, even right here in Missoula. A national award from the Home Depot Foundation recognizes Missoula’s homeWORD for its success in uniting economical housing with sustainable building.

“Our approach to designing and building is very holistic,” said Betsy Hands, Program Manager of homeWORD, “we’re paying attention to issues like indoor air quality and alternative transportation.”

HomeWORD won first place for its Orchard Gardens development in Home Depot’s Award of Excellence for Affordable Housing Built Responsibly. Orchard Gardens breaks the curve with the addition of built-in food security and socially-inclusive design. The 4.6 acre property includes 35 rental units, a community barn, two acres of community gardens and the namesake orchard.

“I hope by getting this award and attention that we can demonstrate to people in Montana and Missoula that the emergence of green building is essential to our move forward in development,” Hands said.

The units are all energy efficient utilizing solar-power and the Missoula aquifer for water. The semi-rural site is connected to the city’s bike trail system and parking structure was built underground in order to cut down on the total amount of asphalt on-site. Sustainable lumber, recycled roofing, and environmentally-friendly insulation were used in construction.

Low-income and low VOCs don’t always coincide. The poorest urban communities are often the most polluted. homeWORD’s innovative approach has been to combine beauty and sustainability with affordable housing. The organization's eight ecologically-minded housing projects have earned them national attention. The Home Depot award includes a $75,000 grant to further the goal of producing affordable, efficient and healthy housing for more families.

"Our hope is that by sharing information about how homeWORD successfully combined affordability with healthy, sustainable measures, we will not only offer insight, but also inspiration, to others developing housing for those of modest means." Kelly Caffarelli, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation said in the press release.

Orchard Gardens was selected from a pool of projects submitted by non-profit housing developers throughout the country.
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