Habitat for Humanity builds energy-efficient homes in Maple City
Photo courtesy of Tom Kachadurian / Habitat for Humanity
From staff reports
One of three duplex units at Maple City Crossings—Habitat for Humanity’s affordable housing project in the middle of Leelanau County—is complete and will welcome homeowners within the next few months. The next unit with two more homes is framed, has a roof, and siding work has begun.
Emily Kelp and her children, Jayden, 8, Piper, 4, and Jenna, 2, “broke ground” on the Maple City Crossings affordable housing units on Nov. 16, 2021, as Kristina Eggeman, her eighth grade daughter Keely, and baby Vivian look on. Both the Kelps and Eggemans will live in these housing units.
Read our December 2021 feature story about the affordable units being built in Maple City on land once eyed by Dollar General
All homes at Maple City Crossings boast energy efficient electric heating and cooling systems, thanks in part to a $5,000 Energize Challenge grant that Habitat for Humanity received in November 2022 from Leelanau Energy. Eight such grants were given to fund and support innovative clean energy projects across the Leelanau Peninsula. Other winners included Northern Latitudes Distillery in Lake Leelanau ($10,000), Bohemian Café in Northport ($10,000), Inland Seas Education ($5,000), Saving Birds Thru Habitat ($3,700), Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum ($1,000), the May residence ($1,000), and the Nilsson/Riebe residence ($1,000).
“The group represents a beautiful cross-section of Leelanau—from local nonprofits to the business community, households to affordable housing projects,” said Leelanau Energy Board President Joe DeFors. “We are inspired by all the smart, educational, community-based energy projects out there.”
The 14 homes Habitat for Humanity is building together with New Waves Church at the corner of M-72 and Bugai Road will also use energy efficient technologies.
“We’re spending a significant amount to make these homes as energy efficient as possible,” said Frank Siepker, engineering and operations manager for Cherryland Electric and president of Habitat GTR’s board of directors. “It’s a significant component for us.
“These homes utilize the electrical grid for energy as opposed to hydrocarbons. The electric grid is much more capable of decarbonization than fossil fuel networks are. So it’s a win-win on the environmentally responsibility side and on general waste reduction, too.”
