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Freddie Mac Joins HBI for Gulf Coast Construction Training
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From left: Rachel Branch, EO, HBA of Mississippi Coast; John Ruble, the association's 2004 president; Don Halle, 2007 vice president of the HBA; Freddie Mac CEO Richard Syron; NAHB Past President Bobby Rayburn; Greg Smith, 2007 secretary/treasurer of the Mississippi Coast builders; Charlie Gant, 2006 immediate past president of the HBA; and Dennis Torbett, HBI's vice president for workforce training and employment. Photo by Oscar Einzig. |
Freddie Mac has joined Home Builders Institute (HBI) to establish a training program for Mississippi residents who want to become skilled members of the home building industry and help rebuild and revitalize communities hardest hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Through a $225,000 donation to HBI, the workforce development arm of NAHB, displaced workers will learn innovative concrete building technologies that are critical to the construction of hurricane-resistant homes.
This new program will build on “Operation Reconstruct,” the skills training and college curriculum effort that HBI, NAHB’s Home Building Industry Disaster Relief Fund (HBIDR) and several other organizations created to meet the specific needs of the New Orleans area following the 2005 hurricanes.
Mississippi resident and former NAHB President Bobby Rayburn, aware of HBI’s “Operation Reconstruct” in New Orleans and Freddie Mac’s commitment to bring about large scale rebuilding efforts to the region, facilitated the connection. Since Hurricane Katrina struck, Freddie Mac has financed more than $1 billion in low-cost mortgages and modified its policies to help thousands of storm victims avoid foreclosure.
“It just made sense,” said Rayburn, who serves as president of the HBIDR. “Freddie Mac had the resources to bring this model program to Mississippi and HBI was just as eager to offer its expertise to help address the immense need for new homes and new jobs for skilled construction labor created by the storms. In addition to leaving many families homeless, Katrina and Rita caused Mississippi’s unemployment to skyrocket.”
“I applaud Bobby Rayburn for bringing Freddie Mac together with home builders.” said Richard Syron, chairman and chief executive officer of Freddie Mac. “By learning concrete building technologies, workers will not only gain vital job skills, they’ll be rebuilding a Gulf region that is stronger than ever.”
The training will focus on three trades extremely important to the rebuilding efforts — electrical wiring, carpentry and concrete technologies. Students will be involved with actual home construction as part of their training, receiving hands-on field experience while contributing to their community’s building effort. Partners, including three local home builders associations and their members, a local community college and community groups, will work together to ensure students receive the highest quality training and education in preparation for joining the area’s workforce.
Separately, HBIDR has continued its support of HBI’s Katrina Relief programs, donating $100,000 for skilled training in Mississippi. That contribution will be added to the $225,000 from Freddie Mac and support from other project sponsors to make the new relief program as inclusive and efficient as possible.
For more information on HBI’s Katrina relief efforts, e-mail Dennis Torbett at HBI, or call him at 800-795-7955; or contact Maria McIntyre, x8912.
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