|
Aiming to “transform
the ways communities think about, design, and build affordable homes,” The
Enterprise Foundation/Enterprise Social Investment Corporation and the
National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), along with the AIA, the American
Planning Association, and other corporate, financial, and philanthropic
organizations, have launched the Green Communities Initiative, a five-year,
$550-million commitment to build more than 8,500 environmentally friendly
affordable homes nationwide.
The national affordable-housing provider and the national environmental
group joined with the AIA and other organizations in an effort to transform
the way Americans think about, locate, design, and build affordable homes. “Building
affordable green housing is not a new concept, but Green Communities
will broaden the ongoing efforts of developers, states, and cities and
make it mainstream,” says Patricia Bauman, vice chair of NRDC’s
board of trustees. “We will assist developers who are already building
green housing and encourage hundreds more to come on board. Our project
will make thousands of affordable green developments bloom.”
The groups made the announcement at a press conference September 28.
The program will offer affordable-housing developers and community-based
organizations a package of financial and other resources, including:
- Grants
to assist in planning, designing, and building Green Communities
homes ($5 million)
- Low-interest loans to enable developers to acquire sites
and start construction ($50 million)
- Equity investments to fund rehabilitation
and construction ($5 million through ESIC)
- Training and technical
support for planning (feasibility analyses, market studies, and initial
architectural, engineering, design, development, and property management
- Policy advocacy, best practices documentation,
and research and evaluation.
Green Communities homes will be built in keeping with proven planning,
design, development, and management practices selected by Enterprise,
NRDC, and other experts. These “Green Communities criteria” will
promote health, conserve energy and natural resources, and enhance access
to jobs, schools, and services.
The initiative will provide expert training and technical assistance
to help housing developers “go green” and provide or help
to arrange technical assistance and training with experienced consultants
and funding planning activities, including feasibility analyses, market
studies, and initial architectural, engineering, and environmental reviews
for green projects. The partnership reports it will also encourage government
agencies to “green” their affordable-housing programs. For
example, Enterprise, NRDC, and other partners will work with state agencies
to dedicate a significant portion of their federal housing tax credits
to healthy, energy-efficient, affordable housing sited near pubic transportation
or vital services.
Healthier homes
“More than 2.5 million families live in substandard housing, in homes
that are unhealthy, inefficient, and poorly sited,” the Enterprise
Foundation reports. “No one fares worse in these conditions than
low-income individuals who struggle just to keep a roof over their heads.” The
initiative aims to:
- Provide health benefits through better ventilation,
less toxic paints and adhesives, and limited use of carpets in areas
prone to mold.
- Save money by cutting utility costs through energy-efficient
and water-conserving heating and cooling systems, appliances, and
fixtures.
- Enhance
access to jobs, schools, and services with homes that are sited near
public transportation. These smart developments will help combat
the sprawl and traffic congestion in growing communities, while saving
individuals the high costs of car-dependency.
- Facilitate a healthy lifestyle through
the physical activity that comes from living in walkable neighborhoods.
Although
there are examples of green affordable housing in many states, the initiative
is intended to help “mainstream” green building
and sustainable development in the affordable-housing industry. The
Enterprise Foundation will help address additional costs—which,
on average, can be about 5 percent—with grants and training.
—Tracy Ostroff
Copyright 2004 The American Institute of Architects.
All rights reserved. Home Page ![](../../redesign/go_trans.gif)
![](../../commonart/spacer.gif)
|
|
![](../../redesign/reference.gif) |
|
In
addition to the Enterprise Foundation and NRDC, along with the
AIA and the American Planning Association, the following organizations
are Green Communities partners:
Bank of America
Blue Moon Fund
BP America
Fannie Mae
Freddie Mac
Global Green USA
The Home Depot Foundation
JP Morgan Chase
The Kresge Foundation
Low Income Housing Institute
Merrill Lynch Community Development Company
M&T Bank
National Center for Healthy Housing
Washington Mutual.
The U.S. Green Building Council strongly supports the Green Communities
Initiative as well.
Click
here for more information on the Enterprise Foundation or
here for the Natural Resources Defense
Council.
![](../../commonart/spacer.gif)
|
|
![](../../commonart/spacer.gif) |
![](../../commonart/spacer.gif) |
![](../../commonart/spacer.gif) |
|