Dec 20, 2021   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Saint-Gobain North America Partners With Habitat for Humanity to Help Canton Family Purchase Zero Energy Ready Home

Saint-Gobain North America (SGNA) today announced that Canton-area residents Bradley and Marjorie Tyson will purchase its Sustaining Futures, Raising Communities home through an affordable mortgage with Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio. The house, which was built with industry-leading sustainable construction and inclusive design features, will be donated to Habitat for Humanity when construction is complete. The Tyson family will then purchase the Canton home, move in by early 2022, and will be SGNA’s key partner in monitoring their experience of living in the home, including its energy performance.

“Our company’s mission is to make the world a better home, and we at SGNA believe sustainable construction and home ownership should be accessible for everyone,” said Mark Rayfield, CEO of Saint-Gobain North America. “We can’t wait for the Tyson family to make the Sustaining Futures, Raising Communities house their own home, all while improving their comfort and quality of life with the many benefits of sustainable construction.”

Parents Bradley and Marjorie Tyson have two children who developed allergies while growing up in rental properties with poor ventilation, dust and mold, and drafty unsealed windows. With a new, clean home that operates efficiently and an affordable Habitat mortgage, the whole family will have room to breathe. “We’ve always rented, so owning this home—our home—will mean the world to us,” said Bradley. “We have been searching for an affordable place that will improve and protect our family’s wellbeing, and we know that this home will help us live full, healthy lives.”

The Sustaining Futures, Raising Communities home is zero energy ready, meaning that with solar panel installation, the total amount of energy used is equal to the amount of renewable energy created on site. With this type of design delivering significant savings on energy costs and utility bills, the Tysons will benefit from more affordable homeownership, while enjoying comfort with a minimal impact on the environment.

The home also follows the concept of universal design, meaning it will be accessible to anyone—a key feature for the Tysons since Marjorie’s mother has battled kidney disease for decades and finds it difficult to navigate steps and other features commonly found in rental properties. This accessible floor plan will allow the children’s grandmother to visit face-to-face whenever she’d like.

As part of the Tyson family’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio, Bradley and Marjorie are completing educational courses that will help them prepare for homeownership and protect the investment they’re making in their futures.

“A good, healthy home means so much to families and children everywhere,” said Beth Lechner, executive director of Habitat. “We’re thrilled to partner with the Tyson family as they build a solid foundation for their future within the walls of this new home. We’re truly thankful to Saint-Gobain North America for helping a dream of homeownership come to life while building a new vision for the future of affordable housing.”

The Sustaining Futures, Raising Communities program displays SGNA’s commitment to sustainability and the communities in which it operates. By delivering solutions tailored for growth and impact, SGNA is making the world a better home.

To learn more and see updates on the partnership between SGNA and Habitat with the Tysons, please visit SustainingFuturesRaisingCommunities.com and follow along on social media using the hashtag #SustainingFuturesRaisingCommunities.

About Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and solutions for the construction, mobility, healthcare and other industrial application markets. Developed through a continuous innovation process, they can be found everywhere in our living places and daily life, providing wellbeing, performance and safety, while addressing the challenges of sustainable construction, resource efficiency and the fight against climate change. This strategy of responsible growth is guided by the Saint-Gobain purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”, which responds to the shared ambition of all the women and men in the Group to act every day to make the world a more beautiful and sustainable place to live in.

€38.1 billion in sales in 2020
More than 170,000 employees, located in 72 countries
Committed to achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050

For more information about Saint-Gobain, visit www.saint-gobain.com and follow us on Twitter @saintgobain.

About Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio
Serving Stark, Carroll, Tuscarawas, Harrison, and Jefferson Counties, Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio is driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live. People 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 purchase the homes with an affordable zero interest 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, Habitat empowers. To learn more, visit habitateco.org.