ABOUT

The Alabama Home Builders Foundation
Investing in Alabama’s Housing Future

Our Mission

For the past two decades, the Alabama Home Builders Foundation has been on a mission to promote and protect Alabama’s housing future. Founded in 1995 as the charitable arm of the Home Builders Association of Alabama, the Foundation’s goal has been to educate people of all ages about opportunities in the residential construction industry. Here’s a brief look at some of the initiatives in which the Foundation has been involved.

Current Projects

Scholarships
The Foundation is perhaps best known for its scholarship program. Each spring, the Foundation awards scholarships to students throughout Alabama who are interested in pursuing careers in home building. The bulk of the scholarship funds come from proceeds from the annual AHB Foundation Golf Classic. Since 1997, the Foundation has awarded over $600,000 in scholarships to over 1000 students.

Free Training Programs
The Foundation has partnered with several schools across the state to offer basic residential carpentry classes and a plumbing and pipefitting program, free of charge. The residential carpentry course has been created to prepare students entering the residential construction workforce in trades such as framing, trim carpentry, and siding installation. Classes follow a NCCER standard and curriculum. Students completing the course will receive a certificate of completion from HBAA.

The plumbing and pipefitting course is offered through career technical training centers throughout the state. Once completed, students will have enough hours to obtain their plumbers apprentice card.

Career Days
For many students, interacting with a Foundation representative or HBAA member at a career day at their school is often their first glimpse into the residential construction industry. Through career days, the Foundation has been exposed to students from elementary all the way up through high school.

Connecting with Counselors
In addition to educating students and connecting with them directly at career days, the Foundation works closely with high school counselors to educate them about careers in the residential construction industry. The Foundation is a sponsor of the Alabama Counseling Association’s annual conference and welcomes every opportunity to speak directly with counselors.

Vocational Skills Competitions
The Foundation has long been a proud supporter of regional and statewide vocational skills competitions, such as SkillsUSA and Future Farmers of America (FFA). Several Foundation scholarship recipients have competed and won at such events, with some even going on to represent Alabama in national competitions.

 

Past Projects

“My Playhouse” Exhibit
One of the most popular projects in the Foundation’s history was the “My Playhouse” exhibit. Occupying more than 1,000 square feet, this museum-quality exhibit provided children with the opportunity to learn about all facets of constructing a home, from plumbing and electrical work to landscaping and interior design, in a fun, hands-on way. The traveling exhibit was on display at museums, elementary schools and other locations around the state where it was toured by thousands of students before the project was retired.

Disaster Relief Fund
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction in 2005, the Foundation responded by collecting and distributing funds for rebuilding homes in Bayou La Batre, an area on Alabama’s Gulf Coast that was particularly devastated. The Foundation, in coordination with the Alabama Housing Finance Authority, provided funding to the Home Builders Association of Metro Mobile to coordinate efforts with local officials, inspectors, and contractors for the rebuild. Since then, the Foundation has helped raise funds for the tornado outbreak in 2011 and the recent tornadoes in Jacksonville and Beauregard, AL.

Tool Grants
The Foundation has assisted building programs at schools throughout the state by providing $15,000 in tool grants. In many cases, these schools were using equipment that was extremely outdated and hazardous, or they did not have enough tools for all of their students to use. These grants have enabled schools on extremely limited budgets to purchase new tools and greatly enhance their building programs.

ACRE Partnership
In 2008, the Foundation began a partnership with the Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE) at the University of Alabama to sponsor an intern to assist with the collection and analysis of new construction data statewide. The Foundation also commissioned a study by ACRE on the economic and business challenges and opportunities in Alabama’s Black Belt region.

The Foundation provides multiple opportunities for HBAA members and friends of the HBAA to support its educational efforts.

For more information email the Foundation here or call 1-880-745-4222.