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Brad
Pitt (photo by Jordan Strauss, Invision
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POPLAR, Mont. The first five of 20 eco-friendly modular
homes arrived on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and are being
set on their foundations this week.
Founded by actor Brad Pitt, the Make It Right foundation and
the Fort Peck Tribes are hoping to have the first five families
moved into their new homes by Aug. 1. Plans are to have the entire
housing project filled by Dec. 1.
The homes, built in Washington state, are being laid down in
a sustainable village project on the old Poplar airport site. They
are built from state-of-the art recycled materials and are LEED
Platinum standard, foundation officials said.
The tribes are in the process of preselecting the tenants to
live in the homes and conducted a lottery system among the 127 applicants.
The tenants will ultimately be able to own the homes.
"We've had a fantastic application run and are now working on
certification (of residents)," said Deb Madison, a board member
of the tribes' company, Integrated Solutions. The company is the
developer of the homes, which were designed by foundation architects
with input from Assiniboine and Sioux tribal members.
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Each
Make It Right home was built with state-of-the-art materials
and meet the LEED Platinum Standard, foundation officials
said. Actor Brad Pitt founded Make It Right, which has also
built homes in neighborhoods in New Orleans, New Jersey and
Missouri.
(Photo: For the Tribune/Richard Peterson)
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Eighteen of the homes are being trucked in, and two octagon-shaped
homes will be constructed on-site.
There are several styles of houses and, with transportation,
the cost per house is around $235,000, Madison said. The tribes
are doing $2 million to $3 million in infrastructure work, including
installing roads and sewer and water lines, she said.
The foundation and the tribes have been working on the project
for more than two years. Make It Right has also built homes in New
Orleans' Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the
neighborhood in 2005.
The homes are 75% more energy efficient than a regular home,
and owners will see a direct impact on their utility bills, which
are expected to not exceed more than $60 a month in the winter.
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The
first five of 20 Make It Right homes are being laid on their
concrete foundations in Poplar this week. The homes are
part of a sustainable village project.
(Photo: For the Tribune/Richard Peterson)
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"Each home has a fireplace. That's what the community asked
for," said Brian Abramson, co-founder of Method Homes, the Ferndale,
Wash., company that built and shipped the 18 modular homes. "They're
super-insulated and no toxic chemicals were used in the paint, adhesives
and finishes."
The Kohler Co. provided the plumbing supplies and Shaw Flooring
chipped in with their products. The homes built with the materials
far exceeds the standards of any low-income government home, foundation
officials said.
The tribes are completing work on the water and sewer lines
and Montana Dakota Utilities is hooking up the electricity and gas
lines. MDU is also considering the construction of a solar farm
in the area, which would be the only one in Montana if built, Madison
said.
Method Homes completed the first Make It Right home in May and
trucked it to the Dwell on Design conference in Los Angeles in late
May. The conference, sponsored by Dwell magazine, is America's largest
design event and features designs with cutting-edge technology.
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