The first reaction of some professionals to green building initiatives is that they are good in principle, but expensive in reality. Incremental costs can be slightly higher for green features such as energy-efficient HVAC and appliances, energy-conserving construction and environmentally friendly and safer building materials — but those costs equalize over time as green building becomes more and more mainstream.
Costs may vary considerably by project. Some of any increased cost will occur in the predevelopment stage, while some will occur during construction. Enterprise’s Green Communities resources are designed to minimize costs and maximize benefits throughout the development process. We expect costs to drop as developers gain experience, as has happened already with green commercial and government buildings.
We Can HelpEnterprise can help to offset additional costs through Green Grants that help developers go green in a cost-effective manner, as well as help cover construction cost gaps. Enterprise also provides low-interest loans and competitive equity capital investments for affordable housing developments that meet the Green Communities criteria.
Finally, Enterprise provides training and technical support to assist developers in green strategies and techniques. These are powerful incentives for participation that help ensure “going green” does not result in infeasible higher costs for low-income residents or fewer affordable homes overall. Explore other low-cost strategies.
