Kenneth Botts, Doug Knopp, Cleve Smith and Amritha Ward

CountyCorp works to improve the quality of life for residents of Montgomery County, Ohio and neighboring counties through improved housing and economic opportunities.

CountyCorp, along with the City of Dayton, City of West Carrollton and City of Kettering combined forces to establish the Partnership for Affordable Sustainability (PAS). This group formed to present a premier design competition with the goal of providing residents with unique affordable housing options through the implementation of green building practices. The result of this competition was the Litehouse Demonstration Homes project.

Demonstration homes will be built on in-fill lots donated by the City of Dayton, City of Kettering, City of West Carrollton and Harrison Township in moderate-income neighborhoods. The homes will utilize existing infrastructure in these communities. Close proximity to community amenities such as banks, libraries, markets, places of worship and entertainment venues will encourage walking, biking and the use of public transportation, minimizing the use of personal automobile use and their associated environmental impact. Education signage will be displayed throughout the homes explaining the sustainable elements.

A number of the communities offer workshops to prospective home buyers on the aspects of homeownership and the different options available as they shop for a home. Classroom and take-home materials covering the cost savings achieved through the use of energy-efficient products and practices will be developed and integrated into current workshop curriculum.

The goal of this project is to showcase energy efficient sustainable homes to the public. Although an energy efficient home may cost more to purchase initially, it is less expensive to operate in the long run than a similarly less expensive home. With the escalating cost of electricity, natural gas and water, a homeowner can control the cost to operate a home through the use of efficient mechanical systems, a tight building envelope, low-maintenance long-lasting building materials, efficient appliances and low flow plumbing fixtures. The result of these savings is less stress placed on our utility services, the environment and the homeowner's pocket. Homeowners will be provided with a manual to help keep their homes running smoothly.