Enterprise has made a $4 billion
commitment to launch the next
generation of its Green
Communities initiative.The nonprofit is
a leading investor in low-income housing
tax credit projects and has many
investment and lending programs.
Through its new retrofit funds,
Enterprise will lend to existing multifamily
building owners for energy and
water reduction capital purchases and
healthy living environment improvements.
In May 2009, Enterprise committed its $95
million new markets tax credit
(NMTC) allocation to target green
deals that bolster funding for commercial
and mixed-use developments with a
demonstrable community impact.
Enterprise also is purchasing carbon
offsets from green affordable housing
developers by raising charitable contributions
through its innovative Green
Communities Offset Fund.
What does Enterprise define as
green?
It developed a set of Green
Communities criteria specifically
designed for affordable housing, including
new construction and rehabilitation
in multifamily as well as single family
buildings.
Enterprise’s criteria goes beyond
construction methods and includes
extensive guidance on neighborhood
context and benefits.
A project must comply with all the
mandatory provisions of the Green
Communities criteria. In addition, new
construction projects must earn 35
points from the optional criteria, while
moderate rehabilitation projects must
earn 30 points from the optional criteria,
in order to be eligible for financial
projects included under Green
Communities.
Green Communities criteria include
the following:
Integrated Design
Green Development Plan
Submit a Green Development Plan
outlining the integrated design
approach used for this development
that demonstrates the involvement of
the entire development team.
Site, Location, and
Neighborhood Fabric
Smart Site Location: Proximity to
Existing Development
Provide a site map demonstrating
that the development is located on a
site with access to existing roads,
water, sewers, and other infrastructure
within or contiguous to existing
development.
Smart Site Location: Protecting
Environmental Resources—New
Construction
Do not locate new development
within 100 feet of wetlands, critical
slope areas, or land identified as habitat
for a threatened or endangered species;
or on land previously used as public
park land, land identified as prime
farmland, or land with elevation at or
below the 100-year floodplain.
Smart Site Location: Proximity to
Services—New Construction
Locate projects within a 1/4 mile of at
least two, or 1/2 mile of at least four,
community and retail facilities.
Compact Development: New
Construction
Achieve densities for new construction
of at least six units per acre for
detached/semi-detached houses; 10 for
town homes; 15 for apartments.
Walkable Neighborhoods: Sidewalks
and Pathways
Connect the project to the pedestrian
grid. Include sidewalks or other allweather
pathways within a multifamily
property or single-family subdivision
linking residential development to public
spaces, open spaces, and adjacent
development.
Smart Site Location: Passive Solar
Heating/Cooling
Orient buildings to make the greatest
use of passive solar heating and cooling.
Smart Site Location: Grayfield,
Brownfield, or Adaptive Reuse Site
Locate the project on a grayfield,
brownfield, or adaptive reuse site.
Compact Development
Increase the average minimum densities
to meet or exceed seven units per
acre for detached/semi-detached; 12
units for town homes; and 20 units for
apartments.
Walkable Neighborhoods: Connections
to Surrounding Neighborhood
Provide a site plan demonstrating at
least three separate connections from
the development to sidewalks or allweather
pathways in surrounding
neighborhoods.
Transportation Choices
Locate project within 1/4 mile radius
of adequate public transit service, or 1/2-mile radius from an adequate fixed
rail or ferry station.
Site Improvements
Environmental Remediation
Conduct a Phase I Environmental
Site Assessment and provide a plan
for abatement if necessary.
Erosion and Sedimentation Control
Implement EPA’s Best
Management Practices for erosion
and sedimentation control during
construction, referring to the EPA
document Storm Water Management
for Construction Activities.
Landscaping
Provide a tree or plant list certified
by the architect or landscape architect
that the selection of new trees
and plants are appropriate to the
site’s soils and microclimate and do
not include invasive species. Locate
plants to provide shading in the summer
and allow for heat gain in the
winter.
Surface Water Management
Capture, retain, infiltrate, and/or
harvest the first 1/2 inch of rainfall
that falls in a 24-hour period.
Water Conservation
Water-Conserving Appliances and
Fixtures: New Construction
Install water-conserving fixtures
with the following minimum specifications:
toilets - 1.3 GPF; showerheads
- 2.0 GPM; kitchen faucets - 2.0
GPM; bathroom faucets - 2.0 GPM.
Water-Conserving Appliances and
Fixtures: Moderate Rehabilitation
Install water-conserving fixtures
with the following minimum specifications
for toilets and shower heads
and follow requirements for other fixtures
wherever and whenever they
are replaced: toilets - 1.3 GPF; showerheads
- 2.0 GPF; kitchen faucets -
2.0 GPM; bathroom faucets - 2.0
GPM.
Energy Efficiency
Efficient Energy Use:
New Construction
Meet Energy Star standards (single
family and low rise residential);
exceed ASHRAE 90.1-2004 by 15
percent; in California exceed Title 24
by 15 percent; in Oregon,Washington,
Idaho, and Montana meet Northwest
Energy Star.
Efficient Energy Use: Moderate
and Substantial Rehabilitation
Perform an energy analysis of existing
building condition, estimate costs
of improvements, and implement
measures that will improve building
energy performance by 15 percent
from pre-renovation figures.
Energy Star Appliances
If providing appliances, install
Energy Star clothes washers, dishwashers,
and refrigerators.
Efficient Lighting: Interior
Install the Energy Star Advanced
Lighting Package in all interior units
and use Energy Star or high-efficiency
commercial-grade fixtures in all
common areas and outdoors.
Efficient Lighting: Exterior
Install daylight sensors or timers on
all outdoor lighting, including front
and rear porch lights in single family
homes.
Electricity Meter
Install individual or sub-metered
electric meters.
Additional Reductions
in Energy Use
Exceed the relevant Energy Star
HERS score for low-rise residential
buildings or exceed other standards
by increased percentages.
Renewable Energy
Install PV panels, wind turbines or
other renewable energy source to
provide at least 10 percent of the project's
estimated electricity demand.
Photovoltaic (PV) Ready
Site, design, engineer and wire the
development to accommodate installation
of PV in the future.
Materials Beneficial to the
Environment
Construction Waste Management
Develop and implement a construction
waste management plan to
reduce the amount of material sent to
the landfill by at least 25 percent.
Recycled Content Material
Use materials with recycled content;
provide calculation for recycled
content percentage based on cost or
value of recycled content in relation
to total materials for project.
Minimum recycled material must be 5
percent.
Certified, Salvaged, and
Engineered Wood
Commit to using at least 25 percent
(by cost) wood products and materials
that are salvaged wood, engineered
framing materials or certified
in accordance with the Forest
Stewardship Council.
Healthy Living Environment
Low/No Volatile Organic Compounds
(VOC) Paints and Primers
Specify that all interior paints and
primers must comply with current
Green Seal standards for low VOC
limits.
Low/No VOC Adhesives
and Sealants
Specify that all adhesives must
comply with Rule 1168 of the South
Coast Air Quality Management
District. Caulks and sealants must
comply with Regulation 8, Rule 51 of
the Bay Area Air Quality
Management District.
Urea Formaldehyde-Free
Composite Wood
Use particleboard and MDF that is
certified compliant with the ANSI
A208.1 and A208.2. If using nonrated
composite wood, all exposed edges
and sides must be sealed with low-VOC sealants.
Green Label Certified
Floor Coverings
Do not install carpets in below
grade living spaces, entryways, laundry
rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, or
utility rooms. If using carpet, use the
Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green
Label certified carpet, pad, and carpet
adhesives.
Ventilation: New Construction and
Substantial Rehabilitation
Install a ventilation system for the
dwelling unit, providing adequate
fresh air per ASHRAE 62.1-2007 for
residential buildings above three stories
or ASHRAE 62.2 for single family
and low-rise multifamily
dwellings.
Garage Isolation
Provide a continuous air barrier
between the conditioned (living)
space and any unconditioned garage
space. In single-family houses with
attached garages, install a CO alarm
inside the house on the wall that is
attached to the garage and outside
the sleeping area, and do not install
air handling equipment in the garage.
Operations and Maintenance
Building Maintenance Manual
Provide a manual that includes the
following: a routine maintenance
plan; instructions for all appliances,
HVAC operation, water-system
turnoffs, lighting equipment, paving
materials and landscaping, pest control,
and other systems that are part
of each occupancy unit; an occupancy
turnover plan that describes the
process of educating the tenant about
proper use and maintenance of all
building systems.
Occupant Manual
Provide a guide for homeowners
and renters that explains the intent,
benefits, use, and maintenance of
green building features, along with
the location of transit stops and other
neighborhood conveniences, and
encourages additional green activities
such as recycling, gardening, and use
of healthy cleaning materials, alternate
measures for pest control, and
purchase of green power.
Homeowner and New Resident
Orientation
Provide a walk-through and orientation
to the homeowner or new resident
using the Occupant Manual that
reviews the building’s green features,
operations, and maintenance along
with neighborhood conveniences. •