by Tracy Kaufman Green Affordable Housing Preservation May 29, 2008

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation National Housing Trust  Committed to safeguarding affordable housing.  Only national nonprofit engaged in housing preservation through real estate development, lending and public policy initiatives.  The National Housing Trust:  Partners with investors to raise capital to buy and renovate affordable apartments. Preserved more than 4,500 affordable apartments.  Lends early money to developers to help them purchase and renovate affordable apartments. Loans have helped preserve more than 4,700 apartments.  Educates policymakers of the need to dedicate resources towards the revitalization of existing affordable apartments.

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation National Housing Trust

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Preservation is the essential first step in solving our housing dilemma Nationwide, the number of apartments that rent for $400 or less declined by 1.2 million between The housing we produce costs approx. $850/1 bedroom. The housing we need costs about $450/1 bedroom. Rehabilitation properties receive approx. 40% less tax credit equity for each apartment than new construction properties. Rehabilitation produces less waste and uses less new materials and energy than new construction. The supply of affordable apartment homes is decreasing. New construction alone will not produce enough affordable housing. Preservation is cost effective. Preservation is inherently energy efficient.

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Preservation is Green Comprehensive climate change response must include improving existing buildings √Residential buildings account for 36% of electricity consumption in the U.S. √Over 20% of U.S. carbon emissions are from residential buildings √Half of the buildings that will be in use in 2030 have already been constructed The greenest building is the one that is already built √It takes 65 years for a new energy efficient building to save the energy lost when demolishing an existing building √Existing housing is located in developed areas near transportation and utility services, conserving energy and construction waste

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation “Preservation of affordable housing is inherently energy and resource efficient.”  Existing housing already located in developed areas near transportation requires less infrastructure investment.  Preservation of existing units creates less waste and saves more natural resources than new construction.  Improvements produce utility savings for owners and residents, lower maintenance costs for owners and provide a healthier living environment for residents.  There are many ways to integrate green elements during renovations to maximize energy and water conservation and create healthier homes. Eric A. Goldstein, Urban Program Co-Director Natural Resources Defense Council

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Friendship Court

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Friendship Court Project Details:  Charlottesville, VA  Family property  150 units  2-4 bedrooms  100% Section 8  $20,000/unit in rehab  NHT/Enterprise,& Piedmont Housing Alliance  Architect: Bill Edgerton

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Green Rehab at Friendship Court  Better-insulated windows & exterior doors  Improved roof insulation  Fluorescent exterior light fixtures  New roofs with lighter colored shingles  Higher efficiency heating & cooling equipment  Water-conserving kitchen and bathroom fixtures and low-flow toilets  Longer-lasting fiber cement siding  Energy efficient, water-saving front loading washers and dryers  No VOC interior paint and low VOC exterior paint  Mature trees kept and additional trees and shrubs added  Improved erosion control and drainage

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Galen Terrace: From Mean Streets to Green Street

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Galen Terrace  Washington, DC  83 Units  100% Section 8  Cost of Rehab: $65,000/unit  Developers: NHT/Enterprise, Somerset Development and Galen Terrace Tenant Assoc.  Architect: EDG Architects  GC: Hamel Builders:  Property Manager: Edgewood  Financing: LIHTC, tax-exempt bonds, & soft loan

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Green Rehab at Galen Terrace  In 2004 Owner received a offer from for-profit developer to buy property.  On Attorney General’s list of criminal nuisance properties and at risk of HUD foreclosure.  Tenants exercised First Right to Purchase option.  In 2005 Tenant Association selected NHT/Enterprise & Somerset as development partners.  March 2006 Project Closed  May 2007 Construction Completed

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Green Rehab at Galen Terrace

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Green Rehab at Galen Terrace  Energy audit with blower door test and infrared scans of building  Lead and asbestos abatement  Rehab includes full unit renovations and new building systems  New windows  Energy Star refrigerators  Low-flow toilets and faucet fixtures  Conversion to all electric in units  HVAC split system with combo heat pump and air conditioning  Composite wood cabinets free of added urea formaldehyde  Green label certified carpets  Individual meters in all units

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Green Rehab at Galen Terrace  Common area laundry rooms (6) with new ductwork & venting  Centralized high efficiency water heaters  Solar reflective roof material  Insulated cold water pipes  Low VOC paints, primers, sealants, adhesives, caulk  Tot lot and benches made of recycled plastic  Created a walkable community with paths throughout site  Downspouts feed into rain barrels for landscaping  Green Home Guide being developed for residents

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Defining Green Improve Energy Efficiency:  High efficiency HVAC system  Energy star appliances  New windows and doors Conserve and Manage Resources:  Low flow faucets, showers, toilets, aerators  Storm water management Reduce impact on residents and environment:  Low volatile organic compound (VOC) paint  Use of certified wood Appropriate site selection and development :  Located near public transportation and services  Compact, walkable site plan

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Lessons Learned from Going Green Go green from the beginning  Determine green goals  Set the level of priority in the beginning Get an experienced team  Get a green consultant or qualified architect on board early  Select architects and contractors with green experience if possible Expect a learning curve  It takes time for developers to learn how to do green well  It takes experience to know what different specifications to use and to find contractors and subcontractors with sufficient knowledge of green products  Research the specifications to find the most affordable options

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation  State and local resources for green development include green tax credits, rebate programs, sales and property tax exemptions, loans and grants.  Nearly every state incorporates some green incentives into its LIHTC program. QAP Incentives take three forms:  Threshold Requirements: states make green building a minimum requirement for tax credit allocations.  Points: states award points to tax credit projects that include environmentally friendly building practices. Points are awarded for energy-efficient appliances, sustainable building techniques, and sustainable building materials.  Non-Numeric Preference: states offer a non-numeric preference for green proposals. For additional information on programs and resources relevant to preservation developers, see: Incentives for Green Preservation

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Green Incentives in LIHTC Programs A number of states currently encourage green preservation by offering separate project scoring criteria, for example:  North Dakota’s 2008 QAP includes a weighting system by which preservation properties earn more points than new construction for each green criterion met.  Utah’s 2008 QAP includes different threshold requirements for new construction developments, where they must meet higher energy efficiency thresholds than preservation proposals.  California’s 2007 QAP and Regulations provide dual standards for certain energy efficiency and building material selection criteria and provide some green project point categories for which only preservation proposals are eligible.

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Resources for Going Green General Resources  Enterprise Green Communities (  Green Affordable Housing Coalition (  Energy Efficient Rehab Advisor ( Identifying Green Products and Materials  Global Green- Public Housing Authority Toolbox (  Building Green- GreenSpec directory on green products (  GreenGuard Environmental Institute- information on low emitting products (  Center for Healthy Housing- information on improving indoor air quality and reducing health impacts (  Carpet and Rug Institute- Green Label program (  Forest Stewardship Council- certifies wood and wood products (  SeaGreen, City of Seattle ( Where’s the Funding?  Enterprise Communities- Green Communities Funding (  EPA’s Green Building Funding Opportunities (  Database for State and Local Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (  Tax Incentive Assistance Project (

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Preserving Opportunities: Saving Affordable Housing Near Transit  Much of the federally assisted housing stock is located in neighborhoods with access to affordable transportation options.  Reconnecting America and NHT identified project-based Section 8 properties within a ½ mile of existing or proposed rail stations in 8 cities: Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, NYC, Portland, St. Louis, and Seattle.  100,000 units in 8 cities examined are within a half mile of existing or proposed rail stations.  The number of units near public transportation increases dramatically when you include frequent service bus lines.

National Housing Trust, Green Preservation Download policy brief at

Tracy Kaufman   Address: th St, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC  Phone: (202)  Web: National Housing Trust For more information: