“The troubling fact is that today’s housing market is rising beyond the reach of too many people and we need new tools to keep Seattle an affordable place to live, work and raise families.” — Seattle Mayor Gregory Nickels.
Many communities place a high priority on creating more affordable housing. This issue becomes even more crucial with climate change in the picture. One way to reduce travel-related emissions is to ensure that people can afford to live in the community where they work, rather than commute long distances.
Green building is especially important in affordable housing. The standards help ensure high-quality construction and healthy indoor air quality., as well as lower in lower utility bills. By spending less on electricity and heating oil, residents have more to spend on other items.
Costs and Benefits of Green Affordable Housing, a project of New Ecology and the Tellus Institute, analyzed 16 green affordable housing projects across the country and found they did cost a little more — 2.4 percent — than conventional projects. But they saved enough water and energy to more than make up for the modest initial cost premium. The study also found that the green housing offered better value in terms of improved comfort and health and lower environmental impacts.
Policymakers can encourage green affordable housing by:
- Creating innovative funding mechanisms that recognize long-term value.
- Updating energy codes so they require higher standards of efficiency.
- Adopting green building standards for affordable housing.
The Green Communities program of Enterprise Community Partners, a non-profit, was launched in 2004 with the goal of making all affordable homes in the United States environmentally sustainable. Green Communities provides financial support and technical expertise to developers interested in cost-effectively building and rehabilitating homes so that they are healthier, more energy efficient, and better for the environment.
Green Communities also helps state and local governments ensure that their housing and economic development policies encourage green building. By mid-2007, Enterprise had invested $425 million to support more than 9,000 homes in almost 220 Green Communities developments in 25 states.
Green Communities is the first national framework specifically aimed at creating housing that’s both sustainable and affordable. Criteria for the framework were developed in 2004. The criteria help create healthier, better performing homes through proven, cost-effective building strategies. They apply to new construction and rehabilitation, to multifamily buildings as well as single-family homes, and align with the criteria of LEED for Homes
The Green Communities working group assembled by Enterprise include representatives of the American Institute of Architects, American Planning Association, Natural Resources Defence Council, Southface, Global Green USA, Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems, and National Center for Healthy Housing.
The Global Green Affordable Housing Initiative is a project of Global Green USA , an affiliate of Green Cross International. Through this initiative, Global Green works with non-profit community development corporations, architects, financial institutions, and government agencies to promote green, affordable housing. Global Green provides information on components of green affordable housing, costs and financial strategies.
Habitat for Humanity is dedicated to providing safe, decent and affordable shelter. There are currently more than 1,700 affiliates in the United States that are working to build affordable housing within their communities. Habitat for Humanity features green affordable housing projects throughout the country.
The American Institute of Architects honors green, affordable projects through its annual “Show You’re Green” program. The developments demonstrate the diverse ways in which green practices are being used and integrated in excellent affordable housing.
