For all of us in the residential green building movement, these are truly remarkable times. Despite a relentless slump in most corners of the housing sector, we continue to see remarkable growth in green affordable housing, driven in large part by interest from affordable housing developers and local government incentive programs.
As the LEED for Homes certification program has grown over the years – to more than 7,300 certified units as of this week, with 30,000 more in the pipeline – affordable housing has emerged as a truly outstanding leader. To date 43% of all LEED-certified residential projects are affordable housing (at least 80% AMI) – up from a still-remarkable 30% just over a year ago. What’s more – fully 55% of registrations year-to-date are affordable housing units.
But despite the growing success of the LEED for Homes program the fact remains that there are 120 million homes in the U.S. that are not certified under any green banner, and another half million new homes coming to market in the next year. There is still much work left to do.
With that in mind, we’re proud to convene this year’s annual USGBC Affordable Housing Summit in Chicago, Nov. 16-17. USGBC’s Affordable Housing Summit brings together leaders in the green affordable housing industry for educational sessions, networking opportunities and interactive project charrettes. This year’s event will focus on innovative policy efforts, as well as proven design and construction techniques aimed at ensuring long-term affordability and improving living conditions for low-income families across the country.
For more information on the USGBC Affordable Housing Summit, please visit www.greenbuildexpo.org/affordable. We hope to see you in Chicago!
Tom Flanagan works for USGBC in Residential Market Development. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.