Delta Helps Habitat's First NYC Green Roof

When Habitat for Humanity went looking for a partner to build their first greenery-covered roof on a project in the Bronx, they hooked up with Delta Air Lines, which has a major hub in the city.

The new roof will cover a low-income housing project Habitat is building. It's called the Fox-Leggett Co-op Apartments, and has 50 units, which is unusual for Habitat, which focuses on single-family homes. According to the Habitat Web site, "the roof — constructed with 2,400 square feet of greenery — will reduce environmental impact and lower utility costs for residents." Naturally, Delta is also kicking in money to pay for the project.

“Delta people have a long tradition of supporting the communities where they live and work, with more than one million hours of service donated to Habitat for Humanity in the last decade,” said Ed Bastian, president of Delta Air Lines. “Raising an innovative green roof in New York is particularly fitting as we make investments to become New York’s leading airline.”

According to an article in the Huffington Post by ThienVinh Nguyen, "The sedum-covered roof will cool the building in the summer by 6 to 8 degrees, insulate the building by a few degrees in the winter, and reduce noise pollution, which help the LEED-certified building rack up some points for Gold standards. Also, they can directly absorb about 1-inch of rainfall."

Along with the Fox-Leggett building, Habitat and Delta also are combining efforts to put up five new homes in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis and Minneapolis/St. Paul.

These houses are special because they "highlight special features for Delta or Habitat, including an energy-efficient and handicap-accessible home in Memphis; a pedestrian-friendly home in Minneapolis and a home built in Cincinnati entirely from proceeds of Delta’s in-flight recycling program."

“We are very appreciative of the support that Delta employees have provided to Habitat for Humanity,” said Jonathan Reckford, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity International. “They have improved many lives because of their involvement in building projects around the world. We are grateful for their partnership.”

Photo courtesy of Dave Bezaire and Susi Havens-Bezaire, via Flickr