A number of special partners are helping Central Oklahoma
Habitat to develop a healthy, attractive, sustainable neighbor-
hood of some 217 quality, affordable, energy-efficient homes
in northeast Oklahoma City. Hope Crossing is coming into
being in a five-phase project on a 59-acre tract of land
located at NE 83rd and Kelley Avenue that was given to
Central Oklahoma Habitat after Christmas 2005 by Edmond
real estate investor Stephen Hurst and his partners in TexOk
Properties, LP. Central Oklahoma Habitat’s new neighbor-
hood, Hope Crossing, will be a home like many of our families
never dreamed they would be able to call their own!
Funding for infrastructure
Once one acquires the land, one must get basic utilities to it. A
number of outstanding partners have joined with Central
Oklahoma Habitat to add infrastructure - roads, water, sewer,
and drainage - to this land. The first 31 lots in Phase I were
completed in 2006, 58 more lots in Phase II in 2007, and we
are working to add another 60 lots in Phase V in 2008. Phases
III and IV are to follow in 2008-2009.
Central Oklahoma Habitat is tremendously grateful for these most
generous donors that will provide numerous lots for affordable
home construction in northeast Oklahoma City for several years
to come.
7-Eleven Stores of Oklahoma
Chesapeake Energy
City of Oklahoma City (HOME)
Meinders Foundation
Oklahoma Housing Trust Fund
Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
Energy friendly homes
Thanks to some other outstanding partners, Central Oklahoma Habitat is now building homes that are among the most energy efficient in Oklahoma and in the country! When completed, Hope Crossing will be the largest green development in Habitat for Humanity history.
Oklahoma City-based ClimateMaster, maker of the most efficient water-source heat pumps in the world, is making it possible for Central Oklahoma Habitat to offer its families extremely energy-efficient homes by donating high-tech geothermal heating and cooling systems to all our homes. These geothermal units utilize the earth as a natural contributor to heating and cooling, exchanging energy between the home and the earth as needed to maintain desired comfort levels. Geothermal systems provide homeowners with year-round comfort, high efficiency performance, and much lower utility bills, making our homes more affordable for families than ever!
Oklahoma Gas and Electric, another of our partners in energy savings for families, is
contributing $2,000 per Central Oklahoma Habitat home to underwrite the cost of adding other energy-saving improvements such as a low-e element to our windows, expandable foam insulation applied to the underside of the roof that gives the whole house a tighter seal, and compact fluorescent lighting to reduce energy usage. All of these approaches to
saving energy will significantly reduce energy bills
for our Habitat families, maximizing their disposable
income and increasing quality of life.
Guaranteed Watt Saver Services, Inc. has also done a great deal to promote the energy efficiency of Central Oklahoma Habitat's homes by designing the right mix of energy efficiency features to achieve LEED certification in our homes and generously donating plan books.
For more information about LEED
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, please go
to
http://www.nrdc.org/buildinggreen/leed.asp.
Healthy living
Any neighborhood of 240 contiguous
homes needs green spaces and play areas
for relaxing and recreation to create a
comfortable, healthy, and attractive
environment for children and adults alike.
Central Oklahoma Habitat is extremely
grateful to The Brown Family -
H. Blanton Brown and Dr. Faith L. Phillips
Family Fund, Steve and Becki Seay Fund,
and Dr. and Mrs. Bill Brown - for contri-
buting $75,000 in honor of their parents,
Col. and Mrs. Brown, to develop this
special place that will support a wide
range of activities for adults and children.
We also greatly appreciate the generous
grant of $10,000 for trees from the
Margaret Annis Boys Trust at the
Oklahoma City Community Foundation,
the gracious gift of $4,500 given by
KaBOOM! towards playground equip-
ment, and the dozens of volunteers who
helped assemble and install the park and
playground equipment.
The park includes a large all-purpose playing field with a baseball backstop, a quarter-mile of walking paths winding
around the park through dozens of shade trees, ornamental trees, and evergreens, with exercise workout stations positioned along the way to encourage area residents and their visitors to get moving! Picnic tables and benches dot the landscape and are even wheelchair-accessible! The playground with swings and jungle gym will likely be the hot spot for the younger children, and the gentle, rolling landscaping will help generate an atmosphere of peace and spiritual refreshment for all.