The Rexel Foundation for a better energy future announced today that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Next Step Network, a nonprofit housing organization. Under the partnership, the Rexel Foundation will assist Next Step in providing lower-income families with affordable, energy-efficient manufactured homes. The Rexel Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Rexel Group.
Next Step, which was founded in 2010, is committed to building a value chain in which factory-built housing companies work in partnership with nonprofit affordable housing providers, members of the Next Step Network, to create more opportunities for lower-income American families to purchase quality, energy-efficient homes. The Next Step Network currently includes 18 high-capacity nonprofit homebuilders serving in 20 states coast-to-coast. To date, their network has helped 138 families buy affordable, energy-efficient Next Step Homes projected to save them nearly $4 million on their utility bills and over $12 million in interest over the lifetime of their 30-year loans, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 9,000 tons.
Chris Hartmann, executive V.P. and CEO, Rexel Holdings USA, Dallas, said, “The Rexel Foundation was launched in May this year with a mission to improve access to energy efficiency for all by increasing awareness and understanding, encouraging innovation through sponsorship of educational and research programs and by supporting charitable community-based projects. We are delighted to be able to support Next Step who share a common goal –- to advance the energy efficiency agenda in the United States, and we look forward to working with them to bring sustainable housing within reach of everyone.”