Greening Affordable Housing

Published April 14, 2009 @ 07:34AM PT

I've mostly steered clear of writing about "green" jobs and the "green" economy here, as the hype reminds me a bit of the dot-com era. Suddenly everyone and everything is going green, to the ridiculous extent that a proposed development with the equivalent of six malls of retail space can be considered green because of the solar power it will generate. (Read the article and ask yourself - why not just invest in solar panels for existing houses? Is creating an entire town, basically, far from jobs or neighboring cities, truly "green"?)

Yet, of course, there are tried and true green opportunities out there for healthier living, and it's through these early programs and follow-on innovations that we can better respond to global warming and climate change. For affordable housing, that includes retrofitting existing buildings and homes, weatherizing low-income properties, and building new housing using sustainable materials and designs that respect the natural environment. When done correctly, these efforts can provide beautiful homes for low-income families and offer substantial savings on utility bills, as well as reductions in food and healthcare costs.

The stimulus package is elevating some of these previously obscure initiatives, namely the decades old Department of Energy weatherization program. In Connecticut, the state's low-income household weatherization program is "enjoying" the most "dramatic" increase in funds due to the stimulus bill. I qualify "enjoy" because to ramp up the program the state must now recruit, hire and potentially train dozens of new staff members to conduct energy audits and oversee or implement weatherization improvements to housing around the state. This is the essence of "green" jobs that advocates describe - training entry-level or dislocated workers or workers in the trades on new technologies such as solar panel installation, energy auditing, etc. We can't revolutionize the economy based on expanding workers' skill sets like this, but it's certainly an opportunity for those of us who are interested in matching up workers with potential careers.

A great example of sustainable (not to mention culturally relevant) design is happening on Indian reservations in Wisconsin. There, "Green-Generation-Houses" are being built for extended families to live together, with doors designed to face east or west according to Native American traditions, and using a mix of clay and straw for insulation - a technology that can be reproduced locally with only modest training. I particularly like the quote from the architect whose help was initially requested by tribes, in describing the proven success of these housing designs:

"We would never bring anything experimental to low-income families," Thering said.

Stimulus money can go a long way in supporting projects like this; we should be keeping a record of promising models and best practices as they develop as we spend down this money over the next couple years.

(Photo of Solar Richmond trainees from the Apollo Alliance blog)

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Comments (4)

I enjoyed the reference to "new-training" for the Weatherization Programs. I would love to see Solar Panels on every Existing Structure, allowing for the residents/owners to reduce energy consumption costs and generating INCOME through surplus ENERGY collected in their Solar Panels.

Posted by leatrice brantley on 04/14/2009 @ 10:03PM PT
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This is; of course, the wave of the future; the coming idea being long overdue; my organization is currently awaiting funding through a grant to build low cost affordable energy efficient and energy independent homes to produce energy for resale to the grid; another innovation for the future of Green America; with the National Model Housing program; sponsored by the Sons of the New Philadelphia.

Posted by christopher diamant on 04/15/2009 @ 12:11PM PT
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To be skeptical about Alternative Energy Programs is to be ignorant and backwards. They WILL create many new jobs, but it's also very important to realize that if this stuff isn't started soon and expanded almost exponentially we will REALLY become at risk of causing a Global Flooding situation which will also be accompanied by Millions of acres of farmland drying up, thus starving Millions of people, and shifting over 50% of the World's Populations to inland areas. As well as dramatic increases in Cancer rates, and other heat & sun related diseases.

But if all is done right, millions of Jobs can be created over 10 years or so, and our earth can be saved (As well as our lives). Who GETS the Jobs depends upon the efforts of Politicians, Religious Leaders, Non-Profits and Corporations.

Posted by Stephen Wider on 04/17/2009 @ 09:46PM PT
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"Hemp Industrial" AGAINst GLOBAL warming MYTHs LIEs DECEPTIONs(NON-INTOXICATING never was or can be a drug)" Applications to greening of many INDUSTRIES starting with WASTELANDS to Productivities for LIVING examples ACREage of Burial Grounds Cemetaries Graveyards Landfills Deserts Pentagon & Other Flat Roofs of Federal State City Bldg.White-House Lawns & Gardens (ROSE?VEGE FRUIT TREEs COMPOSTable Hemp Industrial)Residential Solar Panels can be aRe being Employed without politcian religious leaders non-profits corporations being involved production & application is suppressed an denied access to by previous as are Alternative Fuels & Technologies OLD & NEW shARE examples from DOmain Names Click Links shAIR hemp123.org hempabc.cn hempa2z.cn hemp123.cn hempa2zdeals.biz hemp123deals.biz REDUNdanceS to www.hempabcdeals.biz INFO to benefit US & OTHERS Inclined to RELEGATE the SERVANTs Mentioned back to SERVITUDE to the LIVING with disregard to ALL DEad INCLUDEINg tHEM PerSONs on COINs & FORMERly HEMP-RAGs currently KNOWN as Legal Tender Money ECT.

Posted by Francis Hatin on 04/18/2009 @ 08:39PM PT
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Author

Leigh is a PhD candidate in urban planning at MIT, and a consultant on U.S. Gulf Coast recovery. She sits on the Board of the Allston-Brighton Community Development Corporation in Boston, and has worked with non-profits, foundations and local governments on policies and programs aimed at reducing urban poverty and inequality.