Creating Green Affordable Housing

Tags: Building Green, Cost of Ownership, Going Green, Sustainable Communities, Sustainable Products
Type: Research
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Developing and preserving affordable housing is critical to creating sustainable communities, but local governments face many obstacles. Utilizing funding for green affordable housing practices can provide both long and short-term benefits for local governments, however the cost of land, materials and labor for housing production and rehabilitation continues to rise.

A primary concern for local governments is that green development may incur higher upfront costs. But it also results in lower operating costs over the life of the building, which is particularly important for low-income residents. Some action steps for creating and implementing affordable housing include:

  • Educating and advocating about the long-term cost savings and benefits for the environment and personal health that come with sustainable development.
  • Providing simple cost-saving green ideas that residents can use in their current housing environments.
  • Creating a uniform set of green building guidelines, checklists and rating systems for use with affordable housing projects.
  • Encouraging local builders to adopt green building practices.
  • Seeking funding for green development from diverse sources.