Enterprise and Clinton Climate Initiative Announce Partnership
Enterprise announced a partnership with the William J. Clinton Foundation’s Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) to bring green affordable housing development and preservation to scale in several major cities. Our first collaboration will be in New York, where Enterprise recently announced a commitment to build and rehabilitate 15,000 green affordable homes for low-income people, the largest local green affordable housing initiative in the country. “I am pleased that we are working with Enterprise to help make homes for low-income families more energy efficient and more affordable,” said Ira Magaziner, chairman of the Clinton Climate Initiative. “Enterprise's efforts are an example of how we can save money for residents while taking action to address climate change.” Read the news release. (PDF, 44K).

Cleveland Mayor Jackson Announces Sweeping Green Building Policy
At the Enterprise Community Conference in Cleveland last November, Mayor Frank Jackson announced a sweeping policy to require all new single-family homes to meet the Green Communities Criteria and all new or rehabilitated multifamily developments to meet the Green Communities Criteria or U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria. Single family rehabilitations would be required to meet Ohio state weatherization guidelines plus Energy Star. Enterprise is working closely with the Mayor, the city council and the Cleveland development community to ensure quick and cost-effective adoption of the landmark policy.

Green Themes at Enterprise Community Conference
Enterprise's 2007 Community Conference in Cleveland gave more than 1,200 community developers and their allies from around the country the special opportunity to hear an inspiring plenary address from John Knott, visionary developer of the “new American City,” in North Charleston, S.C. The conference also featured green workshop sessions on rehabilitation, design, renewable energy, transit-oriented development, realizing building performance and the connections between green affordable housing and climate change. Conference participants also had a chance to visit the Cleveland Environmental Center and share their stories in the first ever Green Communities “open mike night.” The conference was a carbon neutral event as a result of Enterprise’s contribution to the Green Communities Offset Fund. Conference workshop materials are available at Enterprise Community Partners. Enterprise thanks the Home Depot Foundation for sponsoring the green plenary and workshop sessions the 2007 conference.

Enterprise Launches Green Homeownership Rehab Initiatives in Los Angeles
Enterprise, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission, has launched a Green Grant program to help low-income homeowners make energy efficient improvements to their homes though such features as tankless water heaters, new insulation in walls and attics, attic fans and, where applicable, photovoltaic panels. The initiative will reduce energy usage by 30 percent to 80 percent per home within a year. Enterprise and local partners, including Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, who secured the lead funding for the program, celebrated recently at the home of Margarita Garcia of East Los Angeles, the first participant. Enterprise has also started a similar program in East Hollywood that will reduce homeowners energy usage by 40 percent and deliver other green benefits.

Enterprise, GreenHOME and D.C. Housing Pioneer Integrated Design Program
In partnership with Enterprise and GreenHOME, the Washington, D.C., Department of Housing and Community Development is requiring that all applicants seeking funding under the department’s current request for proposals engage in an integrated design process. To support all nonprofit organizations in meeting this requirement, DHCD is matching funds from Enterprise and GreenHOME to award grants to nonprofits that will enable them to set up an integrated design approach and complete a green development plan for their proposed project. For more information please visit Green Communities online.

PBS Series Showcases Green Affordable
Check your local listings for the second season of e2 design, a remarkable series that tells the story of leaders and innovators around the work in sustainable development. One episode in season two profiles Enterprise Trustee Jonathan Rose, whose visionary projects include several Green Communities developments. Learn more on e2 design.

Investing in the Future: Innovative Transactions in Affordable Housing and Community Development
February 21 - 22, 2008, Miami

Housing and community leaders from across the country will share the opportunities presented by an emerging market transformation as the public and private sectors begin to recognize the need for innovative and sustainable practices in affordable housing and community development. Visit IPED for more information and to register.

Green Communities Project Profile: Jacob’s Place, Bronx, N.Y.
This brand-new Green Communities development in the Bronx, created by Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation, includes 63 apartments, an early childhood education center and a playground. Among many green features are a green roof with vegetation that collects rainwater – thus cutting down on polluted runoff – and solar panels that provide electricity for the building’s common areas and elevators made possible through the BP Solar Neighbors program created by BP Solar and Enterprise trustee Edward Norton.

Green Communities in the News
Mayor Frank Jackson would set 'green' bar for rehab, new construction projects from Cleveland.com
Enterprise, Clinton Climate Initiative Partner to Promote Green Affordable Housing from Multi Housing News
Star shines bright for solar building from New York Daily News

Happy Green New Year
2007 saw great progress for the green affordable housing movement. Green and affordable are becoming one and the same all across the country through the vision and commitment of low-income people, community-based organizations, funders, policymakers and housing industry professionals. These leaders are demanding better homes and communities and showing how to create them cost-effectively, while doing their part to fight climate change in innovative and equitable ways.

Enterprise is deeply honored to be part of this movement. Enterprise has invested $453 million in equity, loans and grants to assist 210 community-based organizations designing and developing more than 11,000 green affordable homes for low-income families and individuals. We will substantially expand our sustainable development activities in 2008 with new programs, products and initiatives designed to help accelerate the momentum and bring green affordable to scale in more places. We thank all our partners for their leadership and imagination and wish you all the best for the new year.