Habitat for Humanity has teamed up with Hancock Lumber as part of a national effort to build “homes-in-a-box” for those who lost their houses during hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Called “Operation Home Delivery,” 12-foot “panelized” pieces of homes are to be trucked down to the Gulf Coast – along with roofing, windows and other building materials – where the houses will be put together by professionals on site.

“We’re hoping to put everything one would need in a container and send it down,” said Erin Leydon, executive project manager for Hancock Lumber.

On a recent airing of MSNBC’s Today Show, Rockefeller Plaza was transformed into “Humanity plaza” where prototypes of these homes were constructed by Habitat for Humanity volunteers.

But the design for these houses is not yet finalized, said Steve Bolton, executive director of Habitat’s Greater Portland chapter. Bolton guesses they will be around 24 by 36 feet in size, similar to the houses Habitat builds in local communities.

The concept behind these prepackaged houses was created in direct response to the housing need created by the hurricane disaster, Bolton said.

“Habitat for Humanity wanted to come up with a way to respond and get everyone in the country involved,” he said. “They thought if they made a standard plan, then every Habitat affiliate could get involved.”

There has been an outpouring of support from the community for both local and national Habitat efforts, Bolton said, and the organization has already raised over $50,000 in hurricane relief for Operation Home Delivery.

As the new chairman of the National Lumber and Building Materials Dealers Association, Kevin Hancock, owner of Hancock Lumber, met with other national lumber companies at a recent conference to talk about Operation Home Delivery.

Sean Conrad, president of the Dealers Association (which represents over 8,000 lumber and building material companies), sees the home-in-a-box concept as an easy “cookie-cutter” way for companies to help out with the rebuilding effort on the Gulf Coast.

“You just can’t watch the images on television and not do something,” Conrad said. “It’s just grabbed them and they want to be part of the solution.”

Conrad said the organization plans to “funnel” all support for the relief effort through Habitat. He also hopes to showcase Hancock’s work with Habitat for other companies who want to get involved in Operation Home Delivery.

Though many people have volunteered to go down and help construct these homes, the homes can’t be constructed until the groundwork – restoring electricity, cleaning up the streets and putting in foundations for the homes-in-a-box – has been completed in devastated areas.

Bolton said the circumstances for this relief effort are extraordinary with nearly half a million homes destroyed by the hurricanes.

“Certainly Habitat can’t do it all, but we’re going to do everything we can,” he said.

To donate to Operation Home Delivery, mail donations to: Hancock Lumber, Attn: Relief Effort, P.O. Box 299, Casco, Maine 04015.

Or call Habitat for Humanity at 772-2151.