Technology News - October 13, 2004

Affordable green housing

Historically, the energy-efficient structures with very clean indoor air known as green buildings have cost more to construct than their traditional counterparts. But a coalition of businesses, architects, and nonprofit groups hopes to permanently alter the situation by launching the Green Communities Initiative, a $550 million project committed to building more than 8500 environmentally friendly, affordable homes across the United States. “Too many Americans live in unhealthy, inefficient, and poorly sited housing that hinders them from reaching their full potential,” says Bart Harvey, chairperson and CEO of the Enterprise Foundation, a nonprofit coalition partner that promotes affordable housing. In addition to supporting developers who are already constructing green housing, the initiative aims to encourage hundreds more to come on board by providing expert training and technical assistance. The coalition will also encourage government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels to “green” their affordable housing programs. One of green housing’s major selling points is that it means healthier homes, says Megan Sandel, a pediatrician at Boston University’s Medical Center who is a nationally recognized expert on housing’s impact on children’s health. For more information, go to www.nrdc.org, the website of the Natural Resources Defense Council, a coalition partner.