Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center Builds Home with Habitat for Humanity

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (October 19, 2020) – Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center (SICTC) is partnering with Habitat for Humanity of Evansville to build a Habitat home over the course of this school year. This new partnership comes at a time when volunteer help is highly needed but also very restricted. Students and teachers from the Career & Technical Center are working together on the first-ever, student-built Habitat home in Evansville.

Mara Higdon a SICTC student working on the Habitat for Humanity project said, “This house project takes the theory that we learned in the classroom and turns it into a reality. In the classroom we learned a lot about the pythagorean theorem to lay out the house on the lot. We also learned how to use the laser levels to set grade and how to dig and pour concrete in the footing. This past week we started to lay out the concrete block. I believe that the Habitat project will help me and many other students get ready for highly-skilled, high-wage jobs whenever we graduate high school. It’s a great opportunity for all of the students to learn and grasp the information we are learning to take out into the building trades world.”

Students in the Building Construction Technology I and II courses will be spending time on-site working on the Habitat home over the course of the fall and spring. This project will incorporate many of the practices and techniques taught in these classes in a hands-on and meaningful way.

Typical class time for these students includes experiences: installing and maintaining buildings using an assortment of materials such as wood, brick, and concrete; learning to elimitate cost; cutting, fitting, and fastening various materials; using a variety of hand and power tools; reading blueprints and following technical specifications; plastering, drywall installation, plumbing, residential wiring, and roofing; developing accurate and precise measuring skills; acquiring an advanced understanding of mathematical skills required for construction; and the overall planning of construction jobs.

Kent Martin, the Instructor of Building Technology Systems at SICTC stated, “This project emphasizes our view on education at SICTC, which is learning hands-on skills through applied knowledge and partnerships.”

The group broke ground on the Habitat home during the last week in September. Currently, students are working on the foundation. The next step will be to install the crawl space and the floor system. The tentative completion date of the home is set for April of 2021 pending weather conditions and the school schedule. Throughout the course of this build, students will also have the opportunity to work with the future Habitat homeowner, Brandi.

Habitat future homeowner Brandi J. stated, “It makes you very humble. Seeing everyone come together is so neat. There are so many different people building the house!” She goes on to say, “I want to teach my kids about the importance of home ownership. They can see what I’m doing to get us a home, and I hope this will open their eyes to the importance of a home.”

“For us, this home will mean stability. It will be a foundation for our family. I’m showing my kids the importance of homeownership, and I’m trying to break the barrier of families not having ownership.”

Every Habitat future homeowner contributes 300 hours of sweat equity working on their home and others’, taking homeownership courses, assisting at the Habitat ReStore, and volunteering in the community. After completeing 300 hours of sweat equity, Habitat homeowners then buy their home with an affordable mortgage.

Habitat’s Construction Director, Patrick Landry said, “We are very excited to be partnering with SICTC on this build in the Jacobsville Neighborhood. The need for affordable housing is so large that one of the biggest struggles we have at Habitat is having the manpower and resources to keep up with the need. The partnership with SICTC provides us with that resource. This house is one of 14 homes we currently have under construction; it will put one more family into a safe and affordable home. We at Habitat love being a part of this project and would like to thank SICTC for their willingness to take on this build and provide us with the much needed help.”

Thanks to volunteers, groups such as the Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center, and Habitat supporters in our community, the cost of constructing each Habitat home is minimized allowing Habitat to build more homes locally for low-income families seeking affordable homeownership.

Reduced construction costs also allows Habitat’s partnering families another chance to save money for themselves and their family’s financial wellbeing.

Since 1984, Habitat for Humanity of Evansville has built 525 homes and has served over 875 children. A home provides the security that families need to lead more productive lives, with less worry, knowing they have a stable roof over their heads.

About the Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center:

EVSC takes great pride in the state-of-the-art Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center. This innovative center is the hub for the development and delivery of advanced career and technical education, workforce development and training for the entire southwest Indiana region. High school students from North and South Gibson, Spencer, Posey, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties can receive classroom and hands-on training in 22 diverse areas of study using the latest emerging technologies and equipment at the Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center. Learn more about SICTC and its construction courses click here!

Thank You SICTC!

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  • Phase 1

    Homesite Selection

    Homeowner selects homesite from available Habitat lots. Homeowners are paired with their sponsor.

  • Phase 2

    Groundbreaking

    During the groundbreaking, the foundation is completed and the block work is laid.

  • Phase 3

    Crawl Space and Floor System

    Volunteers install moisture barrier and insulation in crawl space.

    For the floor system, the floor joists are installed, more foam insulation is filled in between joists and band boards, and OSB board is laid for the flooring. Black paper is laid on the two porches to help maintain the longevity of the home.

  • Phase 4

    Walls

    Wall Prep: Volunteers build wall components  (king jack studs, California corners, headers, etc.) and layout 2 x 4 location on the top and bottom plates of each wall.

    Wall Building: Wall components are nailed together on top and bottom plates with 2 x 4s. This is completed for both interior and exterior walls.

    Wall Raising: Volunteers raise, level, and secure the walls. Exterior walls go up first, followed by the interior.

    Trusses: OSB boards are laid on first and last trusses to attach the siding.

  • Phase 5

    Doors and Windows

    Volunteers install windows and doors.

  • Phase 6

    Internal Mechanics

    Plumbing, electric, insulation, and dry wall are installed.

  • Phase 7

    Pre-insulation

    Pre-insulation is installed on exterior walls, doors, windows, ceiling, and floors. Baffles are put in to circulate airflow.

  • Phase 8

    Painting

    Volunteers paint the walls and ceiling. Corners and edges are cut out first, then roll the ceilings, and then the walls.

  • Phase 9

    Cabinets and Appliances

    Cabinets and countertops installed.

    Later, refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposal, and washer & dryer are installed.

  • Phase 10

    Trim Work and Flooring

    Trim around windows and doors are completed. Interior doors are also installed. Vinyl and carpet are laid.

  • Phase 11

    Exterior Concrete

    Exterior concrete parking pad and sidewalks are poured.

  • Phase 12

    Yard Prep

    The yard is prepared for grass seed sewing.

  • Phase 13

    Dedication

    Homeowner and community members come together to bless and dedicate the home, complete with a ribbon cutting.