Affordable Housing

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Southface is at the leading edge of bringing the many environmental, economic and health benefits of green building practices to affordable housing. Green building makes sense for affordable housing because it helps save money for those with the least to spare, and improves indoor air quality for those more at risk for respiratory ailments. 


For more than 30 years, Southface has worked to dispel the myth that “green costs too much” by providing training, technical assistance, educational resources and consultations to the contractors, developers, foundations and government agencies that provide affordable housing.

Organizations that Southface frequently works with to promote green affordable housing include:

  • Habitat for Humanity International
  • The Home Depot Foundation
  • Enterprise Green Communities
  • The Housing Assistance Council
  • The Local Initiatives Support Coalition
  • NeighborWorks
  • Multiple regional Community Development Corporations

By emphasizing measures within the EarthCraft, ENERGY STAR®, Enterprise Green Communities and LEED® for Homes programs that carry little or no additional cost or provide the most “bang for their buck,” we are able to impact the greening of affordable housing.

Through adopting these measures, builders of affordable housing can seek a green building certification without a significant increase in project development costs. Southface helps developers and agencies involved with affordable housing identify these cost-effective measures, and provides training and technical assistance on how to implement them.

Whether your organization wants to integrate a few sustainability measures into your operations for the first time or is interested in developing a green standard for affordable housing, Southface can provide practical, realistic guidance. Please contact us to discuss your needs.

EarthCraft works with Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the region to certify many homes as EarthCraft.