The business and workforce training initiative uses funds from legal settlements in bank predatory home lending cases to train the disadvantaged and long-term unemployed.

About 10 are on the payroll now learning how to run a warehouse and inventory and successfully salvage building materials from a selection of the area’s thousands of abandoned homes, Kent said. ARC has deconstructed more than 200 homes in three years.

There’s green in ARC’s mission, too. Kent is keen on keeping historically significant building materials out of the landfills. Kent says he emphasizes skills such as punctuality, attitude, comprehension of tasks, work ethic, leadership and compatibility among workers while deconstructing blighted structures. His target is to do 50 homes per year.

Don’t miss the entire article via Pieces of local architectural history to go on sale | www.daytondailynews.com.