When GL Homes began work on a townhome project in
suburban Boynton Beach, phone calls started coming in from interested
buyers. But these homes are not for sale.
They are being upgraded for 20 families at In the Pines, a nonprofit
organization that provides affordable rental housing and social and
support services for low-income farm workers in Palm Beach County.
In the Pines is divided into a north and south neighborhood. The
first homes were built in 1978, and 10 years ago, the south
neighborhood was renovated.
The pressing need for new homes in the north neighborhood became apparent during the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons.
"The hurricanes really damaged the existing units," said Patricia Maguire, secretary of the board of directors for In the Pines.
The damage was enough for the nonprofit to receive a $3 million grant from Palm Beach County.
GL Homes won the construction bid for In the Pines North and broke
ground on the project in November. The Sunrise-based builder has
constructed more than 10 communities in the greater Boynton Beach area,
but this is the first local project for GL Redevelopment, a subsidiary
of GL Homes.
"There's such an imbalance between people who can afford to live in
South Florida and those who can't," said Misha Ezratti, project manager
and vice president of GL Redevelopment. "People are being priced out of
Palm Beach County."
In the Pines had already come up with the design for the homes, but
GL Homes decided to take things a step further by trying to make the
homes as environmentally friendly and efficient as possible.
"We saw this as a unique opportunity," Ezratti said.
GL Homes originally hoped to meet the standards for Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design's silver or gold certification, but
during the building process, it exceeded its goal by meeting the
requirements for platinum certification.
It also focused on making the homes aesthetically pleasing. The old
units were seen as an eyesore in the community, Ezratti said, but that
has changed.
"These homes are in complete equality with the other neighborhoods around here," he said. "It's a 180-degree difference."
GL Homes still has a few things to wrap up on the project, such as demolishing the existing units and fixing up the schoolhouse.
Although most people dread moving, that wasn't the case for the
residents at In the Pines North, who moved into their homes on the July
4 weekend.
Victor Gonzalez, his wife and their three children were counting down the days until their move.
"We're very excited," said Gonzalez before the move. He has lived at In the Pines for four years.
He said his family felt crowded in the old home, and the concrete walls weren't inviting or comfortable.
"When it's hot out, it's hot inside," he said. "When it's cold, it's cold."
The new units, which are larger than old ones, feature
impact-resistant glass windows and doors, Energy Star appliances,
low-flow toilets, wood products from a sustainable source, low volatile
organic compound carpeting and other low-emission materials.
To prepare residents for the move, Maguire held meetings in one of the units to show them how all of the "green" features work.
In the Pines North sits on 6 acres off Hagen Ranch Road just north
of Polo Trace Golf Course. Ezratti said there's enough land for another
10 townhomes, but there has to be money to build them first.