Green Affordable Housing

While green building first gained traction in upscale homes, green building techniques are increasingly recognized by owners and developers of affordable housing as essential strategies for ensuring long term affordability and financial stability.

The application of green building standards is perhaps easiest achieved for the new construction of affordable housing units. Many housing funding providers, such as State agencies administering Low Income Housing Credits, already require some sustainable building practices and provide incentives for developers to achieve above code building standards. Even more can be achieved by introducing green techniques early in the design process- as opposed to bringing them in after construction begins or as retrofits- as this approach may minimize first costs and maximize efficiency gains.

There are significant opportunities to introduce green building technology and methods into California’s existing affordable housing stock over the coming years, as the existing housing stock reaches a point in its life cycle where rehabilitation is necessary for the continued use and economic viability of the property. Because most of the existing housing stock in California and elsewhere was built prior to the application of comprehensive energy efficiency standards and our current green building practices, project rehabilitation is an ideal time to replace and upgrade inefficient building and mechanical systems and use products less detrimental to the environment.

Furthermore, making investments in our existing housing is in fact our greenest housing strategy as it minimizes the use of resources, construction waste, and related transportation costs,

In California, more than 250,000 units of multi-family affordable housing could benefit from upgrades and retrofits. Favorable financing options, coupled with incentives for efficient and renewable technologies offered by federal, state, local and utility entities, provide the financial mechanisms to usher green solutions into the affordable housing sector.

In response to this potential, agencies like HUD have launched new initiatives providing incentives to affordable housing owners that encourage greater green and energy efficient investments as part of project recapitalization.

Providing more favorable financing terms and enabling project debt to be restructured to accommodate “green” investments, even as rents are set to ensure greater long-term affordability for low income households, will likely be important models for tapping into the green potential of our existing housing stock.

Programs Green Buildings Sustainable Communities Water Energy Green Local Government Green Affordable Housing	Green Affordable Housing The Pilot Program The Challenge The Opportunity Case Studies While green building first gained traction in upscale homes, green building techniques are increasingly recognized by owners and developers of affordable housing as essential strategies for ensuring long term affordability and financial stability. The application of green building standards is perhaps easiest achieved for the new construction of affordable housing units. Many housing funding providers, such as State agencies administering Low Income Housing Credits, already require some sustainable building practices and provide incentives for developers to achieve above code building standards. Even more can be achieved by introducing green techniques early in the design process- as opposed to bringing them in after construction begins or as retrofits- as this approach may minimize first costs and maximize efficiency gains. There are significant opportunities to introduce green building technology and methods into California’s existing affordable housing stock over the coming years, as the existing housing stock reaches a point in its life cycle where rehabilitation is necessary for the continued use and economic viability of the property. Because most of the existing housing stock in California and elsewhere was built prior to the application of comprehensive energy efficiency standards and our current green building practices, project rehabilitation is an ideal time to replace and upgrade inefficient building and mechanical systems and use products less detrimental to the environment. Furthermore, making investments in our existing housing is in fact our greenest housing strategy as it minimizes the use of resources, construction waste, and related transportation costs, In California, more than 250,000 units of multi-family affordable housing could benefit from upgrades and retrofits. Favorable financing options, coupled with incentives for efficient and renewable technologies offered by federal, state, local and utility entities, provide the financial mechanisms to usher green solutions into the affordable housing sector. In response to this potential, agencies like HUD have launched new initiatives providing incentives to affordable housing owners that encourage greater green and energy efficient investments as part of project recapitalization. Providing more favorable financing terms and enabling project debt to be restructured to accommodate “green” investments, even as rents are set to ensure greater long-term affordability for low income households, will likely be important models for tapping into the green potential of our existing housing stock.
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Green Affordable Housing