RISE, in partnership with Resilient Enterprise Solutions (RES), has announced the launch of the Home Raising Academy, the first of its kind in America. This academy aims to train general contractors in home elevation, creating a professional workforce capable of meeting the increasing demand for affordable solutions to protect coastal properties. This training initiative, which was funded as a winner of the 2019 RISE Coastal Community Resilience Challenge, will begin in the Hampton Roads region of coastal Virginia on April 14, 2020. The Home Raising Academy’s curriculum includes strategies for home elevation, financing and outreach, and emphasizes the importance of mitigating flood risks in light of rising flood insurance premiums.
Announcement of Home Raising Academy Launch
For Immediate Release
Paul Robinson
RISE Executive Director
(757) 258-0500
paulrobinson@riseresilience.org
(April 10, 2020) Norfolk, Virginia -RISE joins Resilient Enterprise Solutions (RES) to announce the launch of America’s first Home Raising Academy to begin training contractors on April 14, 2020 in the Hampton Roads region of coastal Virginia.
The Home Raising Academy delivers home elevation education to general contractors and builds a professional workforce able to respond to the increasing demand for protecting coastal properties with affordable and attractive solutions.
Importance of Home Elevation Training
The rates of sea level rise are increasing nationwide, and many communities are more eager now to make plans to protect their coastal properties, both public and private. “Funded as one of our six winners of the 2019 RISE Coastal Community Resilience Challenge, this first-of-its-kind workforce training will launch in Hampton Roads and will upskill general contractors and create jobs that reduce the cost of home elevations,” said Paul Robinson, RISE’s Executive Director.
The launch is well-timed. The nation is in the midst of a pandemic with many construction professionals sheltering at home, which could be a beneficial time to undertake on-line professional development – especially in a new industry growing fast along the Eastern Seaboard.
Training Curriculum and Benefits
The Academy trainees will learn strategies for elevation, financing and outreach, and the persuasive power of rising flood insurance rates for those homeowners who do not mitigate their flood risk.
“After elevating 1,500 homes in multiple states, I’ve learned the secret to elevation is more than quality construction and design — it’s also offering finance options for homeowners,” said Academy principal instructor, Roderick Scott.
“The biggest wave that is going to come and drive people in coastal flood zones out of their homes is not a wave of seawater, it is a wave of increasing flood insurance premiums. Home elevation is a way to preserve or increase the value of your family’s most significant asset – your home,” said John Sargent, RES CEO.
About RES and RISE
About RES
Resilient Enterprise Solutions is an innovative, first-to-market company that addresses the need for home elevation and flood-proofing on a preventative rather than post-disaster basis.
About RISE
RISE is a non-profit, economic development organization with a mission to accelerate innovation and business growth around solutions to coastal communities’ resilience challenges. RISE provides businesses resources to develop, test and scale the next generation resilience solutions for coastal communities.
Question & Answer
What is the Home Raising Academy?
The Home Raising Academy is the first of its kind in America, aiming to train general contractors in home elevation to meet the increasing demand for affordable solutions to protect coastal properties.
When will the Home Raising Academy training begin?
The training initiative will begin in the Hampton Roads region of coastal Virginia on April 14, 2020.
What does the Home Raising Academy’s curriculum include?
The curriculum includes strategies for home elevation, financing, and outreach, emphasizing the importance of mitigating flood risks in light of rising flood insurance premiums.
Who is the principal instructor of the Home Raising Academy?
The principal instructor of the Academy is Roderick Scott, who emphasizes the importance of offering finance options for homeowners in the home elevation process.
