(C10) Four Trends That Are Shaping Green Affordable Housing

Green affordable housing provides a microcosm of both the potential and challenges of urban sustainability. In this session we will reflect on how our recent experiences with climate change, COVID and calls for greater equity have accelerated responses to four major trends outlined in the Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing (Island Press, 2020) –climate, health, equity, and resilience. Through case studies and personal reflection, this structured discussion will emphasize key points through practical examples of how innovative responses to these trends are being incorporated into both new and existing projects.

One of the biggest climate change mitigation responses is electrification, a rapidly growing trend in affordable housing. This has implications for design, operations, and utility costs for both owners and tenants. Mass timber is another climate-related strategy that is influencing established design assumptions. A second trend is a focus on health, as the pandemic has increased awareness of the need for high-quality ventilation and air filtration and caused some rethinking of public/private and indoor/outdoor space relationships. Third, equity needs to be infused in all aspects of the design and extend beyond the inherent social equity of affordable housing to integrate other community assets such as daycare, health clinics, or other services that extend the benefits of green housing beyond the building and into the larger community. Fourth, resilience requires urgent attention to existing property operations and capital planning, and there is growing interest in designing affordable housing developments to serve as resilience hubs that can provide basic services during emergencies or power outages, or high heat days exacerbated by climate change. This requires a rethinking of common spaces and allocating space and technology for backup power systems. Throughout the discussion, we will consider how LEED for Homes v4 is being used to integrate sustainability and equity into affordable housing.