Convoy of Hope halfway through $2M Joplin homes project

Convoy of Hope, a faith-based emergency relief organization in Springfield, is leading construction of 12 homes as part of a $2.2 million commitment to Joplin, according to Jeff Nene, Convoy's senior director of public relations.

The home building efforts are part of the Resilience Star pilot, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security voluntary certification program that aims to make homes and buildings more secure and resistant to hazards.

The high-tech, low-energy buildings are designed with reinforced concrete walls and other innovations intended to make them sturdier and more sustainable than traditional houses.

"The walls of these homes can withstand 250-mile-per-hour winds, with roofs designed for 200-mile-per-hour winds," Nene said.

Six of the 12 homes have been constructed to date, Nene said, with construction work performed by George Van Hoesen of Nixa-based Global Green Building LLC. Van Hoesen is using the ThermoForm system by TF Forming Systems, the same company behind the 72,000-square-foot Chateau Pensmore in Highlandville.

"We are offering features in 1,100-square-foot homes that are usually not available to homes in this price range. Construction of these storm-resistant, energy-efficient homes is only 10 percent more than traditional stick-built homes," Nene said.