Speakers: Ted Mosey is the Chief Operating Officer for Habitat for Humanity, Indy. Wes Green is the Director of Construction for the organization.
The talk will cover the mission of Habitat for Humanity, Indianapolis, and how that makes Habitat different from a typical builder. It will talk about the need that the organization is filling.
Most of the talk will describe how Habitat's method of building is different in order to accommodate volunteers and provide a high quality and durable product.
Program: Habitat for Humanity - The History, the Engineering and the Future.
Speakers: Ted Mosey, COO; and Wes Green, Vice President, Construction; Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity
Introduced By: John Peer
Attendance: NESC: 88, Zoom: 23
Guest(s): one unlogged
Scribe: John Peer
Editor: Carl Warner
View a recording of today’s Zoom presentation at:
Today's program 071524
Today’s presenters were Ted Mosey and Wes Green of the local affiliate, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Indianapolis. Ted Mosey is CEO with a degree from Western Kentucky University and an MBA from Taylor University. He has been with Habitat since 2010. Wes is the VP of Construction. He started with Milwaukee HFH in 2003, moved to the Knoxville HFH in 2005, and has been with HFH Greater Indy since 2010.
History and Mission
Ted Mosey started with the home dedication (turning over the keys) of a homeowner with cerebral palsy from a very young age. Finally, she has her own home that accommodates her disability; a heart-warming story that embodies the Habitat mantra of a hand-up, not a hand-out.
Global HFH has served 59M people through new construction, rehab, and repairs for homeowners. In the US HFH is the 26th largest home builder and often supports the concept of “aging in place”.
Locally, HFHGI serves Marion, Hancock, Hamilton, and Hendricks counties and works with Boone, Johnson, and Shelby counties. Founded in 1987, they have built over 800 homes and now over 200 mortgages have been paid off. All homeowners are lower income (30-80% of median family income) and thus would never qualify for a mortgage. With HFH’s 0% interest mortgage, they have an opportunity. With this new financial flexibility, 71% extend their education.
To become a homeowner, applicants must meet employment and credit criteria AND go through “Habitat University” at the 3135 N Meridian HQ. This includes 300 hours of “sweat equity” in the classroom and on build sites. The process takes over a year from start to homeownership.
HFHGI operates 4 Restores, which sell home products like Lowes at a discounted price. All profits fund administration. The State has a program where you can donate up to $2000 and receive a 50% tax credit.
Construction Designed for Volunteers
Wes Green loves construction > building something from nothing Habitat stresses quality construction and ease of construction for untrained volunteers. The theme is to use panelized wall panels built by volunteers and then assembled on-site. Habitat uses volunteers for all tasks that are
easily trained. They use professionals for skills that require a license like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical. They also use professionals for skilled tasks where quality is hard to achieve with new volunteers such as roofing, gutters, and drywall.
Vol. 105 No. 25 July 15, 2024 Page 2
The process starts in their warehouse with a good safe environment with all the necessary tools/jigs, etc. Working from drawings for the wall panels, regular (weekly) volunteers called the Tiger Team create kits of parts to build all the wall panels; probably nearly 50 for a two-story house. The kits are well-marked to help the volunteers assemble the panels and for their later assembly on the actual build site.
These are assembled into kits and transported to the site of a Build Sponsor which is often the parking lot of a business or church.
A Panel Build Day is a beehive of activity with up to 12 workstations where the sponsor’s volunteers, with guidance from Tigers, assemble all the wall panels in 4 hours. These are assembled temporarily for a photo op. and then stacked for transport to the actual build side.
Raising the Walls Days are the next phase. Volunteers again do the work with Tiger guidance. That phase continues for 15 volunteer days over 6 weeks and includes installing windows, siding, hanging doors and cabinets, interior trim, etc. After landscaping, the house becomes a home for the new homeowner and that special Home Dedication experience.
Throughout the process safety and quality are emphasized. No volunteers are asked to do anything they're not comfortable doing, including using ladders. We use special ladders that are designed for safety.
From a quality perspective, the exterior walls use 2x6 studs for 30 % more insulation. We use upgraded cabinets to last as most homeowners plan to be there for the long term. For most, they are the first homeowner in their family.
Thanks to Ted and Wes for their engaging program.
