CHBC Members, PolarICF, Proudly Represent CHBC at the New Orleans Housing Summit

More than a year after the Gulf Coast was hit by a series of destructive hurricanes, residents and businesses of the area are still in the process of trying to rebuild.  A special summit was recently planned and held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana to help citizens who are returning to the city and renovating.  Presented by Energy of New Orleans, the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans, and the city of New Orleans, the Housing Solutions Summit (HSS) was held September 29th and 30th, and was free and open to the public. 

The event brought home builders, contractors, and state and local leaders together with residents who want to return to the Gulf Coast.  The non-profit summit had national and local building experts on hand to provide attendees with “detailed guidance and information regarding the regional rebuilding process”.  Just a few of the topics discussed and explained at the Housing Solutions Summit included: financing, planning, construction and energy saving advice, and local, state, and federal regulations and assistance programs.

A top priority for those looking to re-establish homes in the New Orleans’ area is building structures that are storm resistant.  The summit addressed these concerns head-on, presenting residents with new alternatives to traditional building methods.  An up-and-coming building system that was advocated during the Housing Solutions Summit was that of concrete homes. 

According to recent research, “concrete homes have proven time and time again that they can take some of Mother Nature’s worst”.  Testing at Texas Tech University proved that “concrete wall systems suffered no structural damage when impacted by debris carried by hurricane-force winds,” while conventional wood-frame walls were not able to stop airborne hazards from penetrating a structure. 

The Housing Solutions Summit was a unique opportunity for concrete construction to gain attention from the many residents, businesses, agencies, and contractors that were on hand at the meeting.  The Concrete Home Building Council (CHBC) was an exhibitor at the summit, and experts from the council were present to explain the advantages of concrete home building systems.  These council members are experts in the building of concrete homes and are more than qualified to educate residents of the Gulf Coast about the benefits of concrete structures. 

According to Jim Niehoff of the Portland Cement Association, “concrete homes meet both of the criteria needed to protect occupants in a deadly storm – structural integrity and missile shielding ability”.  Describing the brawn, and beauty, of these concrete homes to Gulf Coast residents enlightened individuals about this powerful and unique building system, and made individuals consider, perhaps for the first time, concrete construction as a viable building option.  The presence of concrete experts at the summit helped put concrete construction in the spotlight, but it was also a way for the Concrete Home Building Council to support and help in the rebuilding of New Orleans and the surrounding region. 

For More Information on the Housing Summit Event:

1.  Concrete Construction Online.  Housing Solutions Summit Highlights Alternatives to
Traditional Building Methods.  U.S. Newswire: <http://www.concreteconstruction.net/industrynews.asp?sectionID=718&articleID=366724>.

2.  Concrete Construction Online.  Housing Solutions Summit Highlights Alternatives to
Traditional Building Methods.  U.S. Newswire: <http://www.concreteconstruction.net/industry-news.asp?sectionID=718&articleID=366724>.

3.  Portland Cement Association (PCA).  News Release: Concrete Homes Provide Peace of Mind
for the Next Storm.  September 14, 2006: <http://www.cement.org/newsroom/Housing_Summit2006/webn_release092006.htm>.

4.  Portland Cement Association (PCA).  News Release: Concrete Homes Provide Peace of Mind
for the Next Storm.  September 14, 2006: <http://www.cement.org/newsroom/Housing_Summit2006/webn_release092006.htm>. [ return to top ]