Sunday, November 27, 2005
More Affordable Green Housing
... It's also one of the more tangible manifestations of a trend taking off in cities across the country: the merging of affordable housing and "green" building. City officials and others are recognizing that energy-efficient buildings, while they may cost a bit more to build, are far more affordable than traditional housing in the truest sense of the word. They cost less to operate and live in, and they provide tenants with a healthier atmosphere that can save on healthcare costs. ...
New York, Chicago and Los Angeles are giving incentives to contractors for incorporating green features into homes. Additionally, Enterprise Foundation, a leading provider of capital and expertise for the development of affordable housing, has helped start 77 green developments in 21 states, which will create more than 4,300 environmentally efficient homes for low-income families. Citigroup has just pledged $1.5 million to Enterprise.
... For many in the movement, the hope is that ultimately green becomes the norm. "That's the ambition, that green building as a concept disappears and becomes part of regular, mainstream architectural practice," says Jack Elliot of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. "In a world with diminishing resources and rising expectation, I think it's inevitable."
As long as this movement is pushed further by builders themselves, and not by government, this would be a great development. I can definitely see it happening too. Perhaps the next step in that evolution will be zero net energy housing.
Thanks to Evaneco for the link!