Green Communities Initiative

Affordable Housing Grants

Grants for the planning and construction of green affordable housing developments are now available from Enterprise under the Green Communities Initiative. Developers of affordable housing who are committed to meeting the Green Communities Criteria are invited to submit an application by June 15, 2006. For grant guidelines, application form, and tips on writing a successful proposal, see www.greencommunitiesonline.org/about-essentials-grants.asp.

Green Charrette Grants

Grants of $5,000 are also available to support predevelopment charrettes. These "green charettes" are intended to bring together funders, developers, community stakeholders, and green building professionals for an intense working session in an effort to incorporate green design principles into affordable housing design. For more information about these grants, visit www.greencommunitiesonline.com/greencharrettes.asp.

Overview

The American Planning Association is pleased to be a partner with the Enterprise Foundation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, AIA, and other organizations in the Green Communities Initiative. Launched in the fall of 2004, the initiative is a five-year, $550 million commitment to build more than 8,500 environmentally friendly affordable homes across the U.S.

Click here for background information on the initiative and how APA members can get involved.

Progress Report

In its first year, the Green Communities Initiative has exceeded expectations, as a diverse array of housing, health, and environmental partners embraced the initiative's holistic, cost-effective approach to sustainable development in low-income communities. One hundred Green Communities developments, with a total of more than 5,000 homes, are underway in 23 states. Enterprise and its partners have begun shaping policy using the initiative's planning guidelines and investment resources to encourage public action in support of smart, green development. Visit www.greencommunitiesonline.org for more details.

Making the Case

The Enterprise Foundation has published a study analyzing each state's Qualified Allocation Plan, which governs the allocation of federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits. The report highlights those states whose plans include elements for smart site locations, energy and resource efficiency, and healthy living environments. For a free copy of A Greener Plan for Housing Affordability: How States Are Using the Housing Credit to Advance Sustainability, visit www.greencommunitiesonline.org/downloads/agreenerplan.pdf.

State Partnerships

Three states have recently announced partnerships in support of the Green Communities Initiative:

In Massachusetts, MassHousing, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), and the Enterprise Foundation/Enterprise Social Investment Corporation (ESIC) have joined forces to invest at least $209 million worth of incentives to build 1,000 new homes that will promote health, conserve energy and natural resources, and provide easy access to jobs, schools and services.
In Michigan, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), the Great Lakes Capital Fund (GLCF), and ESIC have pledged to invest more than $70 million to build 500 green, affordable homes.
In Minnesota, the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, the Family Housing Fund, and Enterprise will undertake four demonstration projects in 2005-2007 to construct approximately 100 units, both rental and homeownership, of affordable green housing.

For more information on these collaboratives, see the GCI website. To explore creating a collaborative in your state, contact Dana Bourland, AICP, Program Director, Community Planning, Enterprise Foundation at dbourland@enterprisefoundation.org.

Training Events

To spread the word about the benefits of creating green, affordable housing as part of sustainable neighborhoods and communities, the Enterprise Foundation hosted a series of free webcasts. Topics included: