NeighborGood Partners and Energize Delaware Celebrate Opening of Delaware’s First Phius-Certified Homes—Demonstrating How Climate Resilience Drives Housing Affordability

Dover, DE | February 19, 2026 – NeighborGood Partners, in partnership with Energize Delaware, today celebrated the ribbon-cutting of the North Kirkwood Street Passive House homes in Dover, Delaware — the first buildings in the state to achieve Phius Design Certification (Core Prescriptive 2021).

At a time when housing affordability is a national imperative, the four single-family homes — being sold to low- and moderate-income households — offer a clear lesson: homes that are built to withstand climate stress and reduce energy use are also more affordable to live in. Designed to deliver healthy indoor air, consistent comfort, and dramatically lower utility bills, the homes help protect families from rising energy costs, extreme temperatures, and the financial volatility that increasingly threatens housing stability.

“For a house to be affordable to a family, it is more than the sales cost and the resulting mortgage — it includes the utility costs as well as a home’s health benefits,” said Karen Speakman, Executive Director of NeighborGood Partners. “These homes show that climate-resilient design is one of the most effective tools we have to affect affordability for the long term.”

Through superior insulation, airtight construction, and balanced ventilation, the North Kirkwood Street homes reduce energy demand while maintaining safe indoor temperatures during extreme heat and cold. For residents, this means lower energy bills, fewer health risks, and greater day-to-day stability — benefits that are especially critical for households already under financial pressure.

“This project reflects what’s possible when energy efficiency and resilience are treated as core affordability strategies,” said Drew Slater, Executive Director of Energize Delaware. “By investing in homes that use less energy and perform better in a changing climate, we’re helping families stay housed, healthy, and secure — now and into the future.”

The project was supported through Energize Delaware and administered by New Ecology, Inc., which provided technical assistance, performance guidance, testing and verification services, education and training, and coordination across the project team to meet the rigorous requirements of Phius design and construction.

“Too often, climate resilience is treated as an added cost,” said Kim Stevenson, CEO of New Ecology, Inc. “This project shows the opposite: when homes are designed to perform well under climate stress, they reduce operating costs, improve health outcomes, and strengthen long-term affordability for residents.”

Designed to meet one of the most demanding residential energy-performance standards in the country, the homes’ early air-tightness testing has shown strong results, with final construction-phase testing and commissioning underway as the project advances toward full certification.

Beyond the homes themselves, the project has served as a hands-on learning opportunity. Mid-construction site tours brought builders, partners, and community stakeholders onto the site to see high-performance assemblies and systems before they were enclosed, supporting broader capacity-building within Delaware’s housing sector.

The North Kirkwood Street homes are owned and developed by NeighborGood Partners and were designed by Architectural Alliance, with MEP engineering by Blake and Vaughan Engineering, Inc., civil engineering by Mountain Consulting, Inc., and construction by Green Diamond Builders.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Laura Russum, NeighborGood Partners – lrussum@neighborgoodpartners.org | (302) 382-2809

Kassandra Rodriguez, Energize Delaware – kassandra.Rodriguez@deseu.org | (302) 883-3048

Norm Horm, New Ecology, Inc. – norm.horn@newecology.org | (302) 300-4321 x7080
Michelle Moran, New Ecology, Inc. – communications@newecology.org | (617) 557-1700 x7073

ABOUT THE PARTNERS

About NeighborGood Partners
NeighborGood Partners is a Dover-based nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening communities through affordable housing, lending, and financial education.

About Energize Delaware
Energize Delaware offers energy efficiency and renewable energy programs for Delawareans, helping residents reduce their carbon footprint while supporting a thriving environment and economy. Guided by our vision, we continually introduce innovative and relevant solutions that power tomorrow with clean, efficient, and affordable energy. Energize Delaware is a proud 501(c)(3), RGGI-funded nonprofit, otherwise known as the Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU).

About New Ecology, Inc.
New Ecology, Inc. (NEI) is a nonprofit organization that strengthens the systems that make healthy, resilient, and affordable housing possible. Working at the intersection of climate, housing, and equity, NEI brings technical expertise and on-the-ground practice to support the preservation and performance of affordable housing — improving building efficiency, advancing resilience and healthy homes strategies, and lowering long-term operating costs for residents, owners and communities. Headquartered in Boston with offices in Wilmington, DE and Baltimore, MD, NEI works across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and nationally through its Relay Network of partners.

Bennett Street Redevelopment Partnership Honored as Finalist for 2025 Groundbreaker Award

Wilmington, Delaware — October 10, 2025 — The Bennett Street Redevelopment partnership, led by Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County, Todmorden East, LLC, and New Ecology, Inc., with funding from Energize Delaware, was recognized as a finalist for the 2025 Groundbreaker Award for Equity and Community Leadership from Green Building United.

Located in Wilmington’s historic Eastside neighborhood, the redevelopment delivers all-electric, energy-efficient affordable homes that offer long-term affordability and enhance indoor environmental quality for residents. Homes achieve HERS scores as low as 33 (the lowest in the state) and cost less than $100 per month to operate, helping families build stability while strengthening community resiliency.

“Being recognized alongside so many inspiring peers affirms the power of partnership,” said Kim Stevenson, CEO of New Ecology, Inc. “Bennett Street is more than a project, it’s a demonstration of how we can build systems that make climate-smart, affordable housing the norm rather than the exception.”

With Energize Delaware’s investment, the team created a unique replicable model for climate-smart affordable housing that is now expanding statewide through the Climate Smart Homes Program. In this model, Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County and the Todmorden Foundation each developed neighboring blocks of Bennett Street into ultra high-performance housing, with assistance from New Ecology. “This partnership exemplifies Energize Delaware’s mission—to make energy efficiency and sustainability accessible for every community,” said Drew Slater, Executive Director of Energize Delaware.

“This project has changed the way we think about building homes,” said Kevin Smith, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County. “With support from Energize Delaware and guidance from New Ecology, we’ve proven that affordable housing can be both high-performing and deeply affordable for families who need it most.”

“Projects like Bennett Street show what’s possible when collaboration is rooted in shared purpose,” said Rich Przywara, President and CEO of Woodlawn Trustees and the Todmorden Foundation. “This work demonstrates that equitable, high-performance housing can be achieved at scale when partners share a clear vision and commitment to impact.”

The Groundbreaker Awards recognize innovative collaborations advancing equity and sustainability in the built environment. The Bennett Street partnership stands as a model for systems change; proof that when mission-driven partners build together, they create lasting impact for people, place, and planet.

About New Ecology, Inc.

New Ecology, Inc. (NEI) is a nonprofit organization working at the intersection of climate, housing, and equity. For more than 25 years, NEI has partnered with developers, community-based organizations, and public agencies to deliver high-performance, climate-smart, and resilient affordable housing. Its multidisciplinary team provides technical assistance, program design, and applied research that make sustainable housing accessible to all. NEI’s work reduces energy costs, improves health outcomes, preserves affordability, and builds community resiliency—helping partners move from fixing problems to building systems that last.
 www.newecology.org