Green Urbanism
MANY STATES STILL FAILING TO REDUCE UTILITY BILLS/IMPROVE HEALTH FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES NEW REPORT SHOWS
Global Green’s State by State Report Card Ranks Green Building Standards for Affordable Housing
March 20, 2009, Los Angeles - Despite an overall improvement in incorporating green building measures for affordable housing, there is still significant room for improvement as several states continue to rank at the bottom of a recent report from Global Green USA, a national environmental non-profit organization.
For the past four years, Global Green has analyzed and ranked state QAP (Qualified Allocation Plan) documents to determine what states are showing leadership in fostering the building of green affordable housing. QAPs guide the annual distribution of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) by establishing the set of criteria each state uses to compare projects requesting tax credits. By making the guidelines more green, states can insure the construction of healthier, green buildings for low-income families.
The QAP analysis reveals several states receiving failing grades for 2008: Utah (D), Arkansas (D), Colorado (D), Tennessee (D), Idaho (D), Wisconsin (F), Hawaii (F), and Washington (F). (Washington recently voted to dramatically improve its QAP and is expected to rank much higher in 2009.) Furthermore, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Ohio receive some of the highest LIHTC allocation amounts (see LIHTC rank column), but only received a B- or less this year.
Download the QAP analysis for 2008.
“Given today’s economic and environmental crises, it’s quite surprising to see some states ranking so low. There’s no reason that families living in affordable housing should be paying exorbitant energy bills and be put at risk from poor indoor air quality,” said Global Green’s Green Urbanism Director Walker Wells.” Poorly ranking states needs to join the overwhelming majority of U.S. states that are using existing green building products and techniques to insure that those most vulnerable are benefiting from healthy, green homes.
State QAPs are analyzed for their inclusion of green building strategies in each of four categories – Smart Growth, Energy Efficiency, Resource Conservation, and Health Protection. A total of 55 points are available for these four categories in addition to 10 bonus points, and points are turned into letter grades.
The good news is that states can improve their scores dramatically when they begin to take green seriously. Connecticut improved its score by 29 points between 2007 and 2008 with new Green Design and Construction Standards, and the average total score increased from 17 to 25 this year as forty four states improved their scores.
Despite this improvement, Global Green calls on more states to follow Connecticut’s lead and more effectively address smart growth, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and indoor air quality by greening affordable housing through QAP criteria.
About Global Green USA:
Global Green USA is the American affiliate of Green Cross International, founded by President Gorbachev, to foster a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure future. For more than a decade, Global Green's LEED-accredited green building staff has spearheaded applying green technology to green schools and green affordable housing projects throughout California and the nation. Global Green USA is a national leader in advocating for smart solutions to global warming including green building for affordable housing, schools and communities. Global Green USA has influenced more than $20 billion dollars for green building projects and educates millions of people about climate friendly solutions through its annual Red Carpet/Green Cars Oscars campaign. Global Green is also leading efforts to help rebuild a green New Orleans through its Sustainable Design Competition and green schools initiatives.
