Florida Green Building Coalition and Florida Housing Coalition Partner to Catalyze Affordable Green Housing

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By Mike Bonts, Editor

TALLAHASSEE/ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) and Florida Housing Coalition (FHC) have formed a new partnership to accelerate the development of sustainable, green-certified affordable housing.

The non-profit organizations announced their initiative at the Florida Housing Coalition’s 37th Annual Statewide Affordable Housing Conference held in Orlando. The initiative will support wide-spread adoption of green building practices in affordable housing rehabilitation programs and green-certified new construction.
Combining expertise, FGBC and FHC will work together to develop resources and support implementation of FGBC’s green building standards to Florida’s affordable housing stock.
“We are excited about this partnership. FGBC has been a supporter of FHC’s important mission. Together, we can ensure certified green affordable housing provides tangible benefits for residents, builders, developers and communities,” said FGBC Executive Director C.J. Davila.
Green building helps reduce the environmental footprint by reducing energy and water consumption, minimizes waste and pollution, uses renewable materials and resources, improves indoor air quality and enhances residents’ health and comfort.
“Green design strategies save energy which supports affordability. The state recognizes the value of building to higher green standards and leading affordable housing developers are going green because it makes operational sense and provides benefits to residents and homeowners. Through our partnership, the Coalition looks forward to assisting our member developers and local governments with new technical assistance,” said Ashon Nesbitt, CEO of the Florida Housing Coalition.
The organizations will roll-out the specific partnership activities this fall. They plan to engage professionals working on affordable housing and sustainability through roundtables and surveys to define programming that addresses critical issues, develop joint training workshops, and future innovation showcase, along with policy and financial analysis.
“Energy efficiency is a particularly significant driver of environmental and social benefits, given both the climate impact of building energy use and the cost burden on low-income households, which often pay much larger portions of their income on basic utilities than more affluent households,” noted FGBC President Bill Kachman.
Builders, developers, architects and non-profit agencies and industry organizations are invited to join the network. Sign up to receive information about upcoming events and opportunities to get involved at https://form.jotform.com/242306290955054.
In the Photo:
Ashon Nesbitt (left), CEO of the Florida Housing Coalition, and Florida Green Building Coalition Executive Director C.J. Davila announced the new partnership at the Florida Housing Coalition’s 37th Annual Statewide Affordable Housing Conference.

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