by Blake Warenik, National Housing Conference and Center for Housing Policy
Along with 14 partners, NHC and the U.S. Green Building Council today announced the release of a report that recommends nearly three-dozen executive actions across 23 agency programs where the Obama Administration can drive the economic and environmental benefits of green building without new legislation.
The report, Better Buildings though Executive Action: Leveraging Existing Authorities to Promote Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in Multifamily and Commercial Buildings, builds on a 2010 report that identified nearly 100 legal authority opportunities across 30 existing federal programs worth over $72 billion to improve energy efficiency in U.S. building stock.
“The report identifies a host of actions that federal agencies can take to make housing greener in ways that create jobs, save money, protect the environment, and make homes healthier,” said Ethan Handelman, NHC Vice President for Policy and Advocacy. “This about good governance, not partisanship—putting into action the decisions already made by legislators.”
To download the full report, visit nhc.org.
On Thursday, Jan. 26, NHC and U.S. Green Building Council will also host a forum on greening the existing stock of single-family homes at USGBC offices in Washington. For more information, see the event listing on nhc.org.