Sen. Carper Announces Milford Housing’s EPA ENERGY STAR Award for Excellence

LINCOLN, Del. – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) along with Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin, HUD Regional Administrator Jane C.W. Vincent and USDA Rural Development State Director Jack Tarburton announced Milford Housing Development Corporation’s (MHDC) ENERGY STAR Award for Excellence at a build site in the Crescent Shores neighborhood. MHDC is a nonprofit developer of affordable housing in Delaware with a mission to provide decent, safe, and affordable housing solutions to people of modest means.

MHDC received the ENERGY STAR recognition for its dedication to making homeownership more affordable through ENERGY STAR and its Self-Help Housing program.

“Milford Housing Development Corporation has been vital to the success of Delaware’s rural communities,” said Sen. Carper. “Through their hard work we can see how homeownership can be more affordable through energy efficiency building. Today is a proud day for Sussex County and the entire First State.”

“To be nationally recognized for our work is a great honor,” said David Moore, MHDC President & CEO. “MHDC is committed to being a leader in energy-efficient, affordable housing opportunities. We believe that everyone, regardless of income, has the right to high-quality housing at an affordable price. Participating in the Energy Star program is a key component to this commitment and to our agency’s core values. I am truly appreciative. And I know the families we serve are as well.”

“EPA commends the Milford Housing Development Corporation for earning national recognition as a leader in building energy efficient homes that are affordable for low-income families, making Delaware communities like Lincoln more vibrant and healthier,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “Thanks to partners like MHDC, families living in Energy Star qualified homes nationwide will save more than $270 million this year on their utility bills, while avoiding harmful greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to releases from 370,000 vehicles.”

“The MHDC is an innovative partner in helping to provide affordable and energy efficient housing in Delaware,” said HUD Regional Administrator Jane C. W. Vincent. “Congratulations to MHDC on your remarkable achievements, and we welcome home the families that are moving into these houses and this community.”

MHDC’s key accomplishments include:

• Developing 14 Self-Help homeownership units and two contractor-built homeownership units for very-low income households in 2011, all of which are ENERGY STAR certified.

• Lowering monthly utility costs of homeowners by approximately $50 to $70 compared to the estimated costs in comparable noncertified homes.

• Committing to build 100 percent of all new housing units to ENERGY STAR specifications, including both rental and homeownership units.

• Receiving recognition from EPA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for outstanding efforts in energy efficiency through HUD’s Self-Help Housing Program (SHOP).

• Promoting its ENERGY STAR partnership on its website and placing ENERGY STAR plaques on each home so homeowners can proudly acknowledge their certified homes.

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