ACTION-Housing Green for Developers

Green Building Programs for Single and Multifamily Housing

Energy efficiency, water conservation, and healthier living issues seem so commonsense now, but looking back a few years, few affordable housing developers and managers had the time or inclination to deal with them. Now, with the growing interest in "greening" the recognition of the financial impact of utility deregulation, and the understanding of the toxicity in many building and cleaning materials, building owners have started to ask how they can improve their properties.

Beginning in 2007, ACTION-Housing introduced environmental thinking into all of our development activities, including existing multifamily affordable housing, new multifamily and single family housing, property management, and tenant education. While initially focused on our own properties, ACTION-Housing readily embraced the idea of extending our efforts to other developers through collaborations, education and shared resources.

Current programs include:

Western PA Energy Conservation Collaborative

In an effort to renovate the majority of multifamily affordable housing in Western Pennsylvania, ACTION-Housing created the Western PA Energy Conservation Collaborative. As part of the five-year effort, ECC uses proven methods to increase energy conservation, reduce CO2 emissions, lower operating costs, and create a healthy home for residents.

Pittsburgh Renewable Energy Community Project (PRECP)

ACTION-Housing has partnered with TREK Development to study the feasibility of a renewable energy community in the urban Pittsburgh area. This affordable community will employ sustainable living practices like reduced energy consumption, an integrated transportation plan, and renewable energy generation.

Both of these green building programs have been designed to expand the knowledge of sustainability practices and establish a network for developers interested in green construction and management.