Green Communities
The Standard for Sustainable Futures

An update from Green Communities on the Covid-19 virus, June 5, 2020.

2020 Enterprise Green Communities Criteria

Green building practices lead to healthy, efficient, and environmentally responsible homes, and as these are implemented at scale across the nation, practitioners are setting a new standard for design and construction that addresses our changing climate, improves health and well-being of residents, and is economically viable for the long term.

As a community of affordable housing providers, we have an opportunity to give residents agency in designing their homes and to provide access to opportunities through connections to transportation, quality food, and critical services.  Green building practices can be leveraged for all of this, and we invite you to join as we set this new standard for responsible development through the 2020 Criteria, the country’s only national green building program designed explicitly for the affordable housing sector.

In the News

With the 2020 Criteria, we are pleased to share our partnership with the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). Affordable housing that is 2020 Enterprise Green Communities-certified will also earn WELL Certification.

And, we are pleased to announce that the 2020 Criteria offers two levels of certification. Projects achieving Enterprise Green Communities Certification demonstrate that they have achieved a holistic approach to green affordable housing. Projects achieving Enterprise Green Communities Certification Plus have done that and more; they’ve demonstrated significant commitment to approaching green building holistically and have doubled-down on reducing their property carbon emissions. Enterprise Green Communities Certification Plus recognizes leading green affordable housing developments making the greatest strides along the Path to Zero.

	Interested in demonstrating that your property is built to the Green Communities Criteria? Certify your project today.
	Interested in contacting a Green Communities TA Provider, to assist with your project? Reach out to an expert now.
	Interested in research on the impacts of properties built to the Green Communities Criteria? Explore these reports.

Explore the Criteria

2020 Criteria

• Interested in exploring the highlights of the 2020 Criteria? Explore our Ambassador Brief for insights into the new Criteria's most significant features and highlights of how we'll be launching the new standard throughout the year.
• The NYC Overlay for the 2020 Criteria is available for use.  Thank you for your feedback on the public comment drafts over the past year.
• Compare the 2020 Criteria to the 2015 Criteria. View this spreadsheet for a side-by-side criteria comparison and this narrative for a description of the program. Later this spring, stay tuned for comparisons between the 2020 Criteria and LEED v4.1, LBC v4.0, and ICC 700-2015.

Certification to the Green Communities Criteria

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Ready to Certify? Log on to the Certification Portal Today

• Create a new certification application for your project or update an existing one
• Check the status of all of your projects’ reviews in the portal on the Green Certification Details landing page
• Add team members to your certification applications, so that they can view or edit the applications and receive review feedback
• Look over the Certification Portal FAQ for more tips on maximizing your portal experience
• The 2020 Criteria will be available in the certification portal this March.  After October 15, 2020, the 2015 Criteria will be retired from use with new projects. Read up on the 2020 Criteria today!

Additional Resources

• Charrette Tools: Customizable resources to aid your integrative design plans.
• Multifamily Retrofit Toolkit: Upgrade existing multifamily buildings with energy-efficient features and systems.
• Operations & Maintenance: Green efforts continue after construction ends.
• Resident Engagement: Mobilize residents to help maximize energy-saving efforts.