Enterprise Green Communities Program
Green Communities is the first national green building program created for affordable housing. It can be applied to multi-family or single-family projects for new construction or rehabilitation. The program was developed by Enterprise, a non-profitorganization that provides funding for affordable housing and community development projects.
Green Communities uses a checklist that affordable housing developers must comply with to apply for funding. Projects must attain all mandatory requirements and at least 35 optional points to qualify. The criteria are designed to work in parallel with LEED so that projects can easily work within both frameworks. There is currently no third-party verification system in place.
RATIONALE
Affordable housing and green building have not always been complimentary because of the higher upfront costs for some green features. This program provides capital so that projects can get beyond the construction phase and realize the energy cost savings that can be achieved through operating efficiencies.
EFFORT REQUIRED
The Green Communities criteria tend to be similar to LEED with some minor differences. For example, non-ureaformaldehyde wood products and certified green carpeting are required.
BENEFIT
When affordable housing facilities are able to reduce their operating costs, those
savings can be directly passed on to the tenants. Utility costs are an ongoing burden for
low-income families, and energy efficient design can significantly lower these expenses.
RISKS
As with any green building program, meeting the criteria does not guarantee operating cost savings and resource efficiency. Tenants must be properly educated on energy efficiency for the building to perform as intended.
COST
Green Communities uses their criteria to select projects to fund, therefore it does not have fees the way LEED or NAHB does.
Energy efficiency is the process of using less energy to produce the same or increased functions. Often used mistakenly as a synonym for ENERGY CONSERVATION. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to measure energy efficiency. It provides a standard for environmentally sustainable construction.The ability or potential of a physical body to do work. The most common forms of energy are heat, light, mechanical (moving parts), and electrical.
