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NAHB’s Building Systems Councils and Industry Partners Donate Mortgage-Free Home to Wounded Veteran

WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 25, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Building Systems Councils (BSC), in partnership with the Structural Building Components Association (SBCA), Operation Finally Home and the members of the New Braunfels Home Builders Association, last week hosted a dedication ceremony to present Army Specialist Cody Nusbaum with a new mortgage-free home in New Braunfels, Texas. Nusbaum was severely wounded in 2011 while serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

“It was an honor to be a part of this project to build a new home for such a brave, deserving individual like Cody,” said BSC Chairman Jason Blenker, president of Blenker Building Systems Inc. and Envision Home in Amherst, Wis. “We’re hoping that this home will help make life a bit easier as he continues to recover from his injuries.”

“We had an excellent turnout at the ceremony with nearly 100 community and military members in attendance,” said Daniel Vargas, vice president of marketing and community outreach for Operation Finally Home. “Our partnership with NAHB and the BSC in particular is very important to our mission to provide housing to the war wounded. The generosity of these groups is amazing.”

While serving in Afghanistan in 2011, 24-year-old Nusbaum suffered severe injuries after being shot by a Taliban insurgent. His list of injuries was long, including a shattered hip (which needed to be pinned), a broken calf bone, a severed femoral artery and stomach and back wounds. They also found grenade fragments, due to a nearby explosion.

It has been a long road to recovery for Nusbaum, who has been receiving medical treatment at the Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio since Aug. 29, 2011. He has had a record 75 surgeries. Currently, Nusbaum is in a physical therapy program where specialists have helped him regain the use of his legs.

The home that was built for Nusbaum, along with his parents who will assist him during his recovery, was erected in less than three days, thanks to the advantages of systems-built technologies. The home utilizes a prefabricated panelized wall, truss and floor system; contains a modular component; and has a rustic-timber post-and-beam porch system. The home was designed and built to be ADA compliant to ensure it will accommodate Cody’s varying needs throughout his recovery. Cody commented that these different features built into the home will greatly help him to be independent and prepare for the next stage of his life, which he hopes will include starting a family.

For more information about this project, visit: nahb.org/bscforsoldierstx.

The BSC, along with Operation Finally Home, SBCA and Cabarrus County BIA in Concord, N.C., plan to build their third home for a wounded veteran this October in the Charlotte, N.C.-area.

Editor’s Note: High-resolution images and b-roll footage are available upon request.