Enterprise Green Communities Criteria
The First 20 - You're Invited to Lead
You have the opportunity to be among the first 20 project teams that step up to plan and design your developments to the 2020 Green Communities Criteria.
We’re calling this group The First 20 – and we’re excited to elevate your commitment to advancing equity through healthy, efficient and environmentally responsive homes and communities.
As a member of The First 20 cohort, you’ll represent a cross-section of the 2020 criteria’s early adopters. Opportunities include:
- Peer learning and engagement
- Access to field experts
- Amplification of your projects’ key milestones and progress
Submit your projects’ Prebuild applications to be part of The First 20!
Questions about The First 20? Contact Shelby O’Neill.
| All new projects submitting for Enterprise Green Communities Certification will follow the 2020 Criteria. |
Enterprise Green Communities, the standard for sustainable futures, is the nation’s only national green building program designed explicitly for green affordable housing construction.
Green building practices lead to healthy, efficient and environmentally responsible affordable homes. They promote equitable development by ensuring residents have a voice in designing their homes and creating communities connected to transportation, quality food and critical services.
Today, 27 states and Washington D.C. require that affordable housing developments receiving public funds comply with the Green Communities Criteria. This year alone, practitioners will use the criteria to create or preserve more than 200 green affordable housing developments.
The 2020 Green Communities Criteria is the latest version of the guidelines, first introduced in 2005. Updates include a Path to Zero Energy, new water-quality standards, and a new approach to affordable housing in rural areas, tribal communities and small towns. Join us on this journey as we adapt to a changing climate, promote health and well-being and build a more equitable future.
- Explore highlights of the 2020 Criteria.
- The NYC Overlay for the 2020 Criteria is available.
- Compare the 2020 Criteria to the 2015 Criteria. View the spreadsheet and narrative for a side-by-side criteria comparison.
| 2015 Criteria | 2020 Criteria |
Certification to the
Green Communities Criteria
Log on to the Certification Portal Today
| Certification Eligibility and Requirements | Certification Process at a Glance |
WELL Building Institute
Through an exciting new partnership with the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), affordable housing that is Enterprise Green Communities-certified will also earn WELL Certification.
Our Impact
