July 2022 Special Needs Living Akron/Canton

Sponsor Spotlight

CHARIS HOMES BUILDING THE HOME OF TOMORROW...TODAY

By Sarah Smith

Glenna Wilson founded Charis Homes in 2003 after going through a traumatic situation with her friend, Joyce. Joyce was handicapped and not able to get the correct housing for her to live a proper way of life. Wilson recognized the need for healthier, more efficient homes in the Northeast Ohio area and decided she wanted to make an impact. She started her journey with no background in the industry, knowing there would be challenges. She also didn’t want to build using the same old sticks and bricks as everyone else. Looking for a competitive edge, Wilson’s son, who is a civil engineer, introduced her to insulated concrete forms (ICFs) in 2004, and they began building energy-efficient homes with a universal design.

Charis Homes focuses on providing a quieter, health-ready home that is durable, more valuable, and gentler on the environment from the ground up. The company strives to add or upgrade products that will increase the energy efficiency of the homes. Charis Homes obtains ENERGY STAR Compliance and exceeds those requirements by meeting the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Zero Energy

Ready Home and Environmental Protection Agency Indoor AirPlus requirements.

“The reasoning behind what sets Charis Homes apart from the rest of the builders in our area is that we build at a higher level of quality, period,” said Wilson. “Our level of building is completed by less than 1% of builders in the country. The DOE Zero Energy Homes requirement is a voluntary certification program, and we offer that level of building to our clients with every custom home that we do.”

The business is a top-rated, award winning builder based in Summit County. Charis Homes is the first builder in Ohio to meet the guidelines of quality specified by the DOE guidelines. “Housing Innovation Award winners such as Charis Homes are leading a major housing industry transformation to zero energy ready homes. This level of performance is the homes of the future because it improves the way Americans live by substantially reducing or eliminating utility bills, ensuring engineered comfort way beyond traditional homes, protecting health with a comprehensive package of indoor air quality measures, and helping maximize the largest investment of a lifetime,” said Sam Rashkin, Chief Architect at the US Department of Energy Building Technologies Office.

Charis Homes also partners with companies to build more affordable homes for families in the area. This past year, the company teamed with Saint-Gobain North America to build a home on Martindale Road in Canton, using CertainTeed products. Saint-Gobain donated the Sustaining Futures, Raising Communities home to Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio, which will then sell the home with an affordable mortgage to a family who will benefit from the sustainable home concept. Charis Homes also partnered with Hope Homes at the end of last year and signed a contract to build another affordable home for a family in the Canton area in 2022.

In 2018, Charis Homes bought into a franchise called Epcon Communities. Epcon’s mission is to build homes, neighborhoods, and lifestyles that provide one remarkable experience. Epcon integrates smart, innovative designs with the most desirable modern amenities. Today, more than 30,000 families and individuals call an Epcon community home, which makes Epcon one of the top lifestyle-rich home developers in the country year after year.

Charis Homes’ Epcon Community is located on Massillon Road in Green. Within the 55+ community, the homes are built with ENERGY STAR and Indoor AirPlus ratings, and the clubhouse is built with ICFs. This community offers a full condo lifestyle while allowing residents to own their homes as well as the land it sits on. The clubhouse will have a pool and workout facility, as well as a community room for hosting monthly events.

Charis Homes is located at 801 S. Main St., North Canton. More information can be found at www.charishomes.com, by calling 330-833-4527, or emailing info@charishomes.com.