As the cost of housing becomes increasingly expensive, the price of renting or owning a home is becoming much less affordable for large segments of the country's population. In fact, according to The State of the Nation's Housing 2004 from Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies, between 1990 and 2003, the median price of the nation's existing single-family home increased by 27 percent. Rent prices experienced a similar increase. Facing these increases, many municipalities and not-for-profit organizations intend to incorporate more affordable housing units within new development projects. The Green Built Home Program of the Wisconsin Environmental Initiative recently published a report that details how environmentally friendly building choices can result in cost-reducing benefits. With its report, “The Green Built Way to Affordable Housing,” the program aims to introduce green building concepts into lowcost projects and make green building integral to affordable housing planning and implementation.

“Green building” refers to a wide variety of measures that can be implemented to make a home or other building healthier, safer, more comfortable, more durable, energy efficient and environmentally responsible. With the cost of energy and materials climbing every year, green options are becoming more financially attractive as well. The report demonstrates the practicality and feasibility of incorporating green techniques into standard affordable housing practices, as well as the efficacy of utilizing green building to ease strain on municipal infrastructure. Many providers of affordable housing want to build green at prices affordable to low- and middle-income households. Green Built's report was designed to show how this can be achieved.

The report comes at the culmination of a year-long research effort involving interviews with Wisconsin housing builders, architects, affordable housing developers and providers, market-rate housing developers, city and state government representatives, professional associations and affordable housing lenders/funding organizations. Three overarching goals came out of this effort:

1) Increase education about green building and its affordability;
2) Increase funding opportunities for green affordable home projects; and
3) Address regulatory impacts for green affordable home projects.

These goals include roles for state and municipal policymakers, Green Built Home and other organizations and businesses. Most of the recommendations involve collaboration and partnerships between organizations. The report includes case studies implemented in Wisconsin, as well as in other parts of the country that showcase successful examples of housing that is both affordable and environmentally friendly.

According to the paper, a green affordable home not only maintains and respects green standards related to issues such as indoor air quality, energy efficiency and natural resource depletion, but does so in a way that is affordable to both build and maintain. A comprehensive definition of green affordable housing also includes eligibility for financial assistance and the cost-effective utilization of existing infrastructure, such as existing buildings or restored brownfield sites. Furthermore, quality design and materials that are durable, healthy and resource-efficient promise housing that is both greener and more affordable in the long run.

The report's first goal pertains to the need for increased education about green building and its affordability and a more visible joint role for green and affordable within the housing market. This section of the document considers educational materials that could be developed, such as worksheets and checklists that would address issues such as siting and land use, landscape conservation and storm water management, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor air quality, water conservation and waste reduction. Other suggestions include the implementation of a hotline, and training for building professionals and do-it-yourself homeowners alike. Finally, a market analysis would offer insight into public perception of low-cost green housing, as well as provide a means to dispel the many myths commonly associated with environmentally-responsible building.

The second goal of the report considers ways to increase funding opportunities for projects that meet both affordable and “green” standards. These prospects include adding green criteria to existing funding sources, developing new funding opportunities and making existing funding for green affordable housing more accessible. A handful of private and municipal funding sources already exist, an opportunity that ought to be publicized and implemented within the green affordable building community. The report highlights the Enterprise Foundation's Green Communities initiative, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the City of Oakland's Sustainability Statement as model financing program standards. The realm of tax rebates can also promise rewards for green affordable housing. In fact, some states, including New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maryland, already offer tax rebates and credits for green building. Likewise, California's Division of the State Architect provides a web-based clearinghouse of financial incentives for sustainability. Policymakers have the opportunity to encourage responsible design and construction in this arena.

The third and final portion of the document considers regulatory impacts and challenges for green affordable housing and makes recommendations for addressing them. The report offers suggestions regarding government implementation of land use regulations, water and sewer charges and surplus land policy. Often, regulatory impacts can add cost and hassle to building projects. The report lists and analyzes a series of land use regulations that could be modified to encourage greener and more affordable housing developments. A collection of model ordinances that already promote such housing and relate to issues of affordability, home occupation, location and solar gain maximization are also cited in the document. The report highlights Wisconsin's innovative Green Tier legislation, which uses a voluntary, self-regulating approach to reduce environmental impacts and encourage companies to develop greener operating standards through regulatory relief and reduced maintenance charges. Alternative choices for the promotion of green affordable building wrap up the report's recommendations, with suggested utilization of surplus government land for green affordable housing developments and realization of more mixed-income housing units. The implementation of natural building techniques is an additional, more unconventional, course toward sustainable low-cost living.

“The Green Built Way to Affordable Housing” is both a guide and a celebration of green affordable housing that is being created in Wisconsin and across the nation. With this, and possibly future projects, Green Built Home aims to build support for and awareness of the possibilities inherent in environmentally-responsible low-cost housing.

A copy of “The Green Built Way to Affordable Housing” is available at www.greenbuilthome.org or by calling 608-280-0360.