Atlanta Regional Housing

What is green or sustainable building?
The terms green building and sustainable development are used almost interchangeably. In general, they refer to building activity where the outcome is a dwelling or commercial property that increases the efficiency of resources such as energy, water and materials. Simultaneously, the development should also reduce the impact on human health and the environment. Metro Atlanta is fortunate to have a leading organization dedicated to sustainable development practices - Southface. If you are just beginning your education on this topic, we highly recommend that you visit their website www.southface.org

Who determines what is green?
There are a number of rating systems and organizations who promote very specific standards for achieving maximum environmental efficiency. The most commonly referenced include: LEED, Earthcraft, and Green Communities.

The Costs and Benefits of Green Affordable Housing study, undertaken by New Ecology and the Tellus Institute, is comprised of 16 case studies of affordable housing projects from around the country. This 200 page report includes in-depth analysis of the long-run financial implications of greening each project and Net Present Value projections for each project. In addition to case findings, we have included sections on recommendations for advancing the green agenda in affordable housing as well as areas for further research. This is the first study of its kind looking at green affordable housing from a costs and benefits perspective. We hope that with this study, a robust, national conversation can begin about how to promote greening affordable housing while taking into account the various costs and benefits associated with the decisions to green developments.