With the second round of Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds now being distributed, cities have an opportunity to capitalize on both the long- and short-term benefits of the program. In addition to the rehabilitation of low-income housing, the funds can be used for demolition or, preferably, deconstruction.

Using NSP money for deconstruction has several immediate benefits:

1. Abandoned and dilapidated houses can be removed.
2. Deconstruction can be combined with on-the-job training to help create green jobs.
3. Salvaged materials can be reused in the renovation of existing housing.
4. Building owners, architects and contractors can be shown a viable alternative to traditional smash-and-dash demolition.

Most city officials understand that NSP funding will run out in two more years and are searching for ways to leverage the remaining monies to achieve long-term benefits. TRP’s deconstruction training program, “An Introduction to Deconstruction,” offers cities an excellent way to train unemployed and underemployed workers in skills applicable to many of the construction trades.

Concurrent with worker training, TRP offers a shorter deconstruction training course for local contractors, who learn how to:

• Sell the benefits of deconstruction to their clients.
• Remove building components while protecting and preserving their reuse value.
• De-nail and unitize lumber.
• Load and ship materials.
• Profitably bid and conduct full deconstruction projects.
• Work with building departments to encourage deconstruction over demolition.

Trained contractors are then encouraged to hire recent graduates of the “Introduction to Deconstruction” course. TRP makes sure that contractors meet some of these potential workers, as well as representatives of the sponsoring organization, during their own training. In this way TRP helps to ensure the long-term employment of newly trained workers.

These positive results were recently demonstrated in Muncie, Indiana, and Kansas City, Missouri. In both cities, TRP provided back-to-back worker and contractor training programs, thus building upon and reinforcing green-jobs employment in a new arm of the construction industry. In both cities, many workers were fully employed within two weeks following their graduation.

To learn more about TRP and its training programs, be sure to visit our websites: www.DeconstructionTraining.org and www.TheReUsePeople.org.

Two-day Workshop Agenda
We have added a Sacramento workshop to our training schedule (May 23-24), sponsored in part by the County of Sacramento. As with all our workshops, the location will be announced just prior to the training.

Two-day Workshop Agenda
Day 1 (Classroom): Safety • Tools • Equipment • Layout of jobsite • Sequence of work • Deconstruction techniques • Layered materials • Debris handling • Maintaining salvage values• Handling & shipping • Successful bidding

Day 2 (Jobsite): Jobsite inspection and layout • Identifying materials to be salvaged • Removal and handling • Identifying materials for recycling • Location and use of local recycling centers • Bid preparation • Final wrap-up

2010 Reuse Contest
Our 2008 and 2009 reuse contests were so successful that we've decided to sponsor the competition annually. Every entrant receives a $25 gift certificate, and winners receive additional gift certificates worth up to $225 at TRP warehouses. Click here for more information and contest rules.

• West Coast Green. October 1-3, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco. This is one of the big Northern California green shows. TRP has participated for several years and will be there again this year. www.westcoastgreen.com