WHAT IS DECONSTRUCTION?

Deconstruction, an alternative to demolition, is the systematic dismantling of commercial and residential buildings. The materials from that building are then evaluated for resale. The deconstruction project addresses the needs of low-income people living in distressed areas and works to provide a pathway to stable, well-paying employment to those on the fringes of the economy.

WHY CHOOSE DECONSTRUCTION OVER DEMOLITION?

Deconstruction serves to not only improve our neighborhoods by removing structures that are useless and unsafe, but also creates jobs for members of the community.

WHAT IS DONE WITH MATERIALS AFTER DECONSTRUCTION?

Some materials are sold on site while others are stored in a warehouse to await resale.

IS DECONSTRUCTION REALLY COST EFFECTIVE?

Deconstruction can cost under $2 per square foot for the portion of the building that is deconstructed, while demolition can cost $3 per square foot.

WHO PROFITS FROM RESALE OF MATERIALS?

The deconstruction company and its employees profit from the resale of materials. Resale can be set up as an employee-owned and operated business.

WHAT TYPES OF JOBS ARE CREATED?

The actual deconstruction of a building involves numerous different tasks. It is estimated that the deconstruction of 200,000 public housing units will generate 10,000 full time jobs in neighborhoods, which have high unemployment and under-employment. Workers will be needed to complete the following duties:

• Structural takedown (extraction of building elements)
• Separation of materials into categories: recyclable, needs reworking, reusable as is, and trash
• Preparation of reusable materials (removal of fasteners, lead paint, and asbestos; cleaning, trimming, bundling, and covering)
• Warehouse and distribution
• Marketing reusable materials
• Rework of old materials into new (making ceramics out of rubble, and remilling and reconditioning of lumber into flooring, molding, furniture, etc.)

WHO GETS THESE JOBS?

Employment opportunities will be offered to those taking part in the Strategies for Responsible Fathers program.

WHAT IS THE STRATEGIES FOR RESPONSIBLE FATHERS PROGRAM?

The program is aimed to provide custodial and non-custodial fathers the means to support their children (either through direct care or child support payments) and improve their lives through education, training, employment, and family involvement.

WHO CAN TAKE PART IN THE PROGRAM?

Anyone in the Greater Bridgeport area with children living in public housing can participate in the program. Other low-income residents in the Greater Bridgeport area can also qualify.

WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM OFFER?

The program offers many services including:

• High school diploma program
• Individual and family counseling
• Union training
• Job placement assistance
• Insurance
• Housing assistance
• Career advancement opportunities
• Union membership

WHAT KINDS OF COUNSELING ARE OFFERED?

To ease the adjustments of re-entering school, work, or their children’s lives, the program provides a variety of counseling services for participants. These include:

• Parenting and co-parenting
• Communication and problem solving
• Self-esteem/Self-confidence
• Substance abuse
• Stress and anger management
• Violence, abuse, and neglect
• Dealing with emotions
• Gender and cultural socialization
• Family experiences
• Finance management

WHAT ROLE DO UNIONS PLAY?

The Laborers’ International Union offer several services in combination with the deconstruction project including:

• Loans to assist small deconstruction companies with start-up expenses
• Supplemental union training or apprenticeships for deconstruction trainees
• Health care for trainees (with over 600 hours of work within one year)
• Introductions to demolition companies that could participate in joint ventures with deconstruction service providers or training programs
• Placement of trained workers in full-time, permanent jobs

WHAT TYPES OF TRAINING ARE OFFERED?

Training, necessary materials, and transportation will be provided at no cost to program participants. Training is offered through the union and will cover:

• Project planning
• Development of a business plan
• Identifying financing
• Recruiting workers
• Training workers
• Developing and financing resale stores
• Marketing and evaluating the enterprise/project

WHAT ABOUT MONEY?

Program participants will receive a $50 stipend each week while attending training.

WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE?

Participants will receive insurance coverage for themselves and all their children.

HOW WILL I BENEFIT IF I DO NOT QUALIFY AS A LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS?

The deconstruction project not only provides jobs but hopes to revitalize the economic community. The project aims to stimulate enterprise development and job creation on a local level, as well as reducing unemployment and helping the environment.

HOW DOES DECONSTRUCTION AFFECT THE ENVIRONMENT?

The environment benefits because materials from deconstruction projects are recovered for reuse, resulting in less demand for natural resources. The process of deconstruction improves and protects the environment by:

• Reducing pollution
• Conserving energy
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• Promoting the concept of reuse and recycle
• Reducing need for landfills and incineration
• Properly removing hazardous materials during removal of structures

HOW ARE BUILDINGS PICKED FOR DECONSTRUCTION?

Good candidates for deconstruction are selected by:

• The age of the structure
• The type and condition of materials the structure contains
• The methods used to construct the building (Construction methods impact the ease or difficulty of recovering materials)
• The local market values for salvagable materials
• The availability of recycling options for materials that cannot be reused

Good candidates for deconstruction would be:

• Brick buildings built before 1933
• Structures containing old growth or rare wood types
• Structures containing interesting or high-quality architectural features (e.g., doors, windows, bathroom fixtures, banisters, etc.)
• Buildings with hardwood floors
• Structures with large timbers (e.g., warehouse beams)
• Structures containing large quantities of unpainted wood

WHAT WILL DECONSTRUCTION BRING TO MY COMMUNITY?

Deconstruction benefits the community as a whole not just on those involved in the actual project. Community benefits include:

• Meaningful job opportunities for people on welfare
• Well-paying jobs and careers for women
• Stimulation of jobs and small business opportunities for residents in distressed areas
• Opportunities for skill development, employment, and entrepreneurial initiatives
• Recycling dollars within local communities so that expenditures can continue to build resources
• Building capacities for small businesses and resident management groups
• Creation of opportunities for trade union credentials and membership
• Strengthening ties with local government/housing authorities
• Turning our neighborhoods back into communities

HOW CAN COMMUNITIES PROMOTE DECONSTRUCTION?

• Pass ordinances requiring deconstruction to be considered in conjunction with or as a replacement for demolition through the use of building assessments
• Inventory and assess abandoned buildings and those scheduled for removal to identify good candidates for deconstruction projects and make this database of information available to the public
• Require redevelopment projects to review building components in structures scheduled for removal to assess their reuse potential
• Improve government contracting processes, such as Request for Proposals (RFPs), by including materials recovery requirements, requiring a salvage and reuse plan, and/or awarding points in bidding processes for high recovery rates
• Require separate bids for the complete removal of hazardous materials for all demolition and deconstruction projects to level the playing field on this issue
• When reviewing bids, allow a price preference for hitting deconstruction targets
• Tie approval of and fees for local demolition permits with an environmental review to maximize materials recovered (more recovery = lower permit fee)
• When reviewing requests for demolition permits, do not allow negative declarations to take the place of a review that considers the environmental impacts of demolition and how those impacts could be mitigated with deconstruction
• When possible, separate the permitting, contracts and/or financing for site clearance from the design/build phase of construction projects to allow adequate time for deconstruction
• Publicly acknowledge the training benefits associated with deconstruction and be willing to pay for them
• Support used building materials yards and other end markets for materials salvaged through deconstruction
• Assist deconstruction service providers with resolution of issues surrounding lead paint and asbestos remediation
• Develop a network of deconstruction service providers and advocates that can work together to overcome local barriers to deconstruction
• Convert the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) public housing demolition program funds (HOPE Vl) to deconstruction program funds focusing on community enterprise development
• Require a minimum content of used building materials in local government construction and renovation projects
• Train and license deconstruction firms to perform hazardous material abatement and/or develop parallel, specialized abatement enterprises