06-03-2025
North Alabama Homebuilding Academy gets $500,000 grant
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A Huntsville non-profit focused on offering hands-on skills training for people looking to start a career in residential construction, recently got a big boost.
The North Alabama Homebuilding Association (NAHA), is one of only 15 non-profits across the country, to be a recent recipient of a Lowe's Foundation Gables Grant. NAHA received a $500,000 grant.
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'We're just absolutely ecstatic about it,' said Larry Durham, the owner of Durham Service Company and the Chairman of the North Alabama Homebuilding Academy Foundation.
Durham explained that the grant money will go towards expanding NAHA's workforce development program throughout the state of Alabama.
'It's going to be used as seed money to start up more satellite programs around the state,' Durham said.
NAHA offers classes and courses to train people who are interested in pursuing a career in the residential construction industry. Durham explained that there's a major shortage of new people joining the industry.
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'The average age of a journeyman plumber, electrician, carpenter, HVAC technician in state of Alabama is 57 years old,' Durham said. 'For every five the industry is losing, we're only gaining one back. The demand has never been greater for skilled construction services, and we're trying to do our best to rebuild that,'
The Lowe's Foundation Gable Grants program has a similar goal.
'When we talk to our professionals out in the field, 9 out of 10 tell us, that they have trouble finding the workers they need,' Director of the Lowe's Foundation Betsy Conway said. 'So, being able to address this worker shortage crisis through these local programs like NAHA is really critical.'
The Lowe's Foundation has pledged to donate $50 million dollars to organizations that support training programs in carpentry, construction, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and appliance repair. So far, the foundation says it has awarded $34 Million in Gable Grants towards that goal.
Durham told News 19 that working with the Lowe's Foundation on the grant was a great process. He said NAHA originally applied for a $250,000 grant, but that quickly changed.
'What was astounding, is when Lowe's called us back and asked us if we could use an additional $250,000,' said Durham.
That doubled their grant to a total of $500,000.
Conway said the foundation was so impressed with NAHA's work that they had to double the funding.
'When I was on the call and NAHA started walking through all of their plans, the foundation board, which is a part of this process, was so impressed by their plans for future growth that after the call, we actually decided to go back to not and say, 'look, if we were able to provide you with more funding, what more could you do?'' Conway said. 'This expansion plan came back and we are just thrilled to be able to make this happen.'
'I think what NAHA is doing in northern Alabama, how they're now going to be able to replicate their program across the entire state, is a best practice that I hope many will replicate' Conway added.
Durham told News 19 that NAHA plans to work with the state homebuilders association and other partners to get the ball rolling on expanding programming statewide.
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