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Green Affordable Housing

Defining Green Affordable Housing

Green building fosters long term affordability for low income families. According to Global Green USA, low income families spend more income on utilities than on education and healthcare.

With our communities expanding as they are, there is an ever growing need to address poverty and the environment such that we create sustainable, healthy communities. The green movement is surely on the up and up- with Al Gore winning the Nobel peace prize, organics becoming common selection at our grocery stores, and nearly every where you turn some company, organization or magazine is boasting their commitment to preserving the earth and making that commitment accessible to you.

"Many synergies exist between green building and affordable housing. In fact, the affordable housing industry could become a leader in green development. But additional research is needed to ease some of the barriers to the greening of affordable housing. More extensive training is also important to expand cost-effective green strategies among builders and in the affordable housing industry generally. Despite the challenges, promoting housing that is healthy and sustainable as well as affordable seems a natural progression for an industry that has long focused on improving the lives of low-income individuals and their communities." - Jessica LeVeen Farr

Environmental Impacts of Building

Some of the biggest impacts we have on the environment lie within the structures we build to accommodate our lives. Buildings in the US account for:

• 40% of total annual US energy
• 25% of water use
• 20-30% of municipal solid waste stream
• 30-40% of wood and materials use
• 25% of greenhouse gas emissions

The Green Affordable Housing Coalition outlines green affordable housing projects with the following criteria:

• Are integrated to the site and region
• Use energy, water and materials wisely
• Minimize and recycle construction waste
• Create their own energy;