Mission & Vision
Enterprise’s vision through Green Communities is to fundamentally transform the way we think about, design and build affordable homes.
Green Communities is the first national green building program developed for affordable housing. We focus on the use of environmentally sustainable materials, reduction of negative environmental impacts and increased energy efficiency. And we emphasize designs and materials that safeguard the health of residents and locations that provide easy access to services and public transportation.
Green Communities is designed to help developers, investors, builders and residents make the transition to a greener future for affordable housing. Created in consultation with some of the nation’s leading environmental, public health and green building experts, we offer grants, loans, tax-credit equity, training and technical assistance to give developers and builders the resources they need to bring green projects to life.
Groundbreaking Criteria
Green Communities homes are built according to the Green Communities Criteria, the first national framework for healthy, efficient, environmentally smart affordable homes. The Criteria were developed by Enterprise in partnership with:
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- American Institute of Architects
- American Planning Association
- National Center for Healthy Housing
- Southface Energy Institute
- Global Green USA
- Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems
- Experts associated with the US Green Building Council
Green Communities Results
Results of going green through the Green Communities project thus far include:
- More than $430 million in grants, loans and equity committed;
- More than 9,200 highly sustainable Green Communities homes in 220 developments in 25 states complete or in development;
- More than 2,800 affordable housing professionals trained in sustainable design and development practices; and
- More than 20 city and state affordable housing policies changed to support green affordable development
These early results have shown that affordable homes and developments can attain a high standard of environmental sustainability for a modest additional cost through the Green Communities approach. Our model delivers a comprehensive package of environmental resources to developers and policymakers that can be adapted to local conditions, combined with other private and public resources, and used to achieve transformational change in local markets across the country.
