Donated concrete will strengthen affordable housing, making it more resilient and sustainable

Alexandria, VA — Build with Strength is partnering with Habitat for Humanity International to fortify decent, affordable and sustainable housing across the U.S. Build With Strength is donating concrete for the construction of Habitat homes and will work directly with local Habitat organizations to support home builds across 16 locations.

Backed by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), Build with Strength is a coalition of architects, builders, engineers, emergency services personnel, policymakers and others committed to solving challenging housing issues. Build with Strength is partnering with Habitat to help further address those issues on a large scale.

“We have a responsibility as an industry to have a positive societal impact. Our partnership with Habitat represents a commitment to that responsibility in communities across the country,” said Mike Philipps, president of the NRMCA. “We are a proud supplier of our product anywhere. But to help more families have homes that are both affordable and resilient means that much more. Our hope is to expand this partnership so that we can continue supporting Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.” Butte County, the first project under the partnership, is set to break ground in April and includes the construction of three homes in Paradise, Calif. This area of the country has faced significant challenges with wildfires in recent years. The use of concrete to build the homes will provide families in the area with more durable housing.

“The town of Paradise was 90 percent destroyed by wildfires. Residents have had their lives turned upside down,” said Nicole Bateman, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Butte County. “We are grateful for our partners in the concrete industry for stepping in to help with the rebuilding process. Their generous donation will not only provide affordable housing but also resilient homes that can withstand the elements that come with wildfire prone areas.”

“We are very excited about the opportunity to partner with Build with Strength,” said Julie Laird Davis, vice president of corporate and cause marketing partnerships at Habitat for Humanity International. “One of the most important pillars of our organization is building stronger communities. Build with Strength holds similar values and will be an integral part in ensuring that more families have access to safe, durable, and affordable homes.”

Other industry groups involved in the collaboration and contributing to the projects include the Insulating Concrete Forms Manufacturing Association (ICFMA) and the American Concrete Pumpers Association (ACPA). “We are extremely proud to be a part of the partnership with Habitat for Humanity. It gives us a great opportunity to set an example for how we should be building resilient communities across the country,” said

Mike Kennaw, Board Chairman, ICFMA. “ICF construction can help hard-working families by providing safe and strong homes, and we are really grateful to be a part of that.”

“Habitat for Humanity is an incredible partner for these projects. It’s an amazing feeling to know that the industry will help to provide affordable homes that are comfortable and safe for those living in them,” said Christi Collins, Executive Director of ACPA. “Concrete can provide great peace of mind for homeowners.”

About National Ready Mixed Concrete Association

NRMCA is celebrating 90 years of representing the producers of ready mixed concrete and the companies that provide materials, equipment, and support to the industry. It conducts education, training, promotion, research, engineering, safety, environmental, technological, lobbying and regulatory programs. To learn more, visit https://www.nrmca.org/.

About Build with Strength

Build with Strength is a coalition of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and works with communities, lawmakers, and industry employees to advocate for safer, sustainable building materials. To learn more, visit https://buildwithstrength.com/.

About Habitat for Humanity

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.

About Insulating Concrete Forms Manufacturing Association

The Insulating Concrete Forms Manufacturers Association (ICFMA) is the North American non-profit trade association for the Insulated Concrete Form industry and was founded in 2014 by a dedicated group of manufacturers with the interest of improving the quality and acceptance of Insulated Concrete Form construction. To learn more, visit https://icf-ma.org/.

About American Concrete Pumpers Association

The American Concrete Pumping Association was founded in 1974 with the objectives to promote concrete pumping as the choice method of placing concrete, and to encourage and educate the concrete pumping industry on safe concrete pumping procedures. The ACPA Operator Certification Program is the only industry- recognized certification program for testing concrete pumping practices.

Members of ACPA include owners of concrete pumps, manufacturers of concrete pumps, and distributors of concrete pumps and accessories. To learn more, visit https://www.concretepumpers.com/.

Learn more at www.buildwithstrength.com