Newest Habitat home is first of its kind for Tupelo and Mississippi

Tupelo's newest Habitat for Humanity home is built using the ICF construction method

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – The dedication of a new Habitat for Humanity Home is always a special occasion, but the latest home built in Tupelo is a first for that city and the state.

When Lena Ashby received the keys to her new house, it was the end of a four-year journey.

“You have to put in 300 sweat equity hours, not only on my home but other’s homes, it was new, it taught me some things I didn’t think was capable of doing, putting up a wall, getting on a roof, it was fun,” Ashby said.

It is a new beginning for Ashby and her three children. It is also a first for Tupelo. This home is the first in the city built using Insulated Concrete Forms. It is also the first Habitat home in Mississippi built using the ICF construction method.

“It’s different because it’s not traditional stick-built, there are no two by fours, the home is built out of styrofoam blocks we will with concrete that become the exterior structure of the home,” said Charlie White, of B & B Concrete.

There are more than 300 concrete molds making up the exterior walls of this house, and for Lena, that extra protection was huge.

“When I first signed up for this, and Chris asked, ‘What was your biggest fear?’, I wrote it down. Mine was tornadoes. We had just went through one. I had no control over it,” Ashby said.

Along with adding increased protection during tornadoes and storms, ICF homes are also energy efficient.

Ashby was given a Bible and a cross from Northeast Mississippi Habitat for Humanity as a housewarming gift.

The Ashby family will move in once they close on the home, in a couple of weeks, and Ashby already has the first meal planned out.

“With a great dill pickle soup, trust the process, it is the best soup you can ever have. I’m going to share the recipe with you guys,” Ashby said.

Northeast Mississippi Habitat for Humanity has a goal to build all of its homes with the ICF Construction method within the next four years.

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