AUGUST 6, 2009 ISSUE
Green Housing Institute Proposed for Heavenly Mountain East Campus
Obama Administration Supports Homeless Training Program
Howard Richardson, president of the National Coalition for Homeless Americans, has plans to turn the East Campus of the property formerly known as Heavenly Mountain in Watauga County into the Green Housing Institute, a training and education program for homeless people.
On Monday, August 3, Howard Richardson, president of the National Coalition for Homeless Americans, explained to the Watauga County Board of Commissioners about plans for the Green Housing Institute, a training and education program for homeless people that will be located on the East Campus of the property formerly known as Heavenly Mountain in Watauga County.
Richardson and property owner David Kaplan are in the process of meeting with President Barack Obama’s administration and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Richardson said, and are hoping to fund the project with a $42 million federal grant.
“Once all the paperwork is done, we’ve been told that President Obama is ready to sign off on the project,” said Richardson.
According to Richardson, the Green Housing Institute will train homeless Americans to build zero carbon footprint homes, which will allow the once-homeless citizens to re-enter the economy as skilled workers. The training fits in nicely with Obama’s administration’s emphasis on sustainable infrastructure, said Richardson.
“This program is about putting the American worker back to work,” said Richardson. “It’s not a true homeless shelter.”
Richardson said that as many as 1,000 homeless citizens can be trained at one time and then rotated out of the program once skilled. Part of the institute’s charge will be to establish a placement agency so workers can find work once trained.
Instructors will be housed on site in existing infrastructure left over from Heavenly Mountain’s days as a Transcendental Meditation compound. Participants in the program—which will come from the surrounding region—will eventually build as many as 150 zero carbon footprint homes on the property, said Richardson, which will be sold for profit to the local community. Proceeds will help support continuing operations of the institute.
“This institute will empower homeless people and help the community—it’s a win-win for everybody,” added Richardson.
On Monday, the Watauga County Board of Commissioners unanimously supported a vote of confidence for the project. Richardson did not provide a timeline for implementation of the project.
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