With support from the National Housing Endowment’s Challenge/Build/Grow (CBG) matching funds initiative, the Home Builders Association of Northern Kentucky in Erlanger hosted a successful “Green Day” to educate its builder and remodeler members and community participants about the National Green Building Standard and the Green Build Kentucky program.

“Green Day brought builders and remodelers up to date with how to build green and get their projects rated,” said Steve Estey, the HBA’s director of development. “There were sessions on building codes for green building, on the impact of weatherization and on how to positively impact the bottom line of builders who want to grow their businesses.”

In addition to the seminars, vendors presented a variety of products to the Green Day participants, many of whom did not know such products existed until the event, Estey said.

The Northern Kentucky HBA, which was awarded a CBG grant last year, used the funds to advertise Green Day and to create other promotional materials leading up to the event.

“The people that attended were very positive about the seminars, as well as the green product mini-informational seminar,” Estey said.

“Building homes for the nation is too important a priority to neglect the education and training that will be needed to support the residential construction industry,” said Gary Garczynski, endowment chairman and 1992 NAHB president. “Even during these difficult times, the endowment is answering the call by meeting the industry's long-term challenges with bold thinking and action, through the Challenge/Build/Grow matching grant initiative as well as other grants.”

About Challenge/Build/Grow

Since the CBG program was launched in 2001, more than $200,000 has been awarded to state and local HBAs throughout the country.

Under the program, HBAs are encouraged to find opportunities to build new partnerships in their communities to assist local programs targeting issues of importance to the industry — including job training, image building, labor shortage, educational curriculum and scholarship support.

For more information about grant or scholarship opportunities and funding guidelines, visit www.nationalhousingendowment.org.