Green Connection
Bay Area LISC firmly believes that green affordable housing is a key ingredient for fostering sustainable, resilient communities in ways that protect public health, conserve natural resources, and preserve the environment. We use a multidimensional approach to bring environmentally sound principals into practice among affordable housing owners, managers and regulators, an approach that includes training, development of new tools and templates, peer learning, and financial incentives.
We are accomplishing our objectives via several strategies that include development of the following resources:
- Green Financing: A green loan fund for nonprofit housing developers to finance affordable housing developments and community facilities that are integrating sustainable building materials and methods.
- Green Technical Assistance: Hands-on project-specific design and planning assistance;
- Green Physical Needs Assessment: Provides affordable housing developers with the tools to green an existing property;
- Green Operations and Maintenance Toolkit and Buyer’s Guide: A guidebook for incorporating green materials and products in the maintenance and turnover processes of existing affordable housing properties;
- Green Building Trainings: Workshops on commissioning, green design & construction management, and green operations and maintenance for affordable housing professionals;
- Green Materials Buyer’s Cooperative: Bulk purchasing assistance for green materials through local manufacturers and retailers;
- Green Building Awards Program: Recognition of outstanding green affordable housing projects;
- Green Affordable Housing Coalition (Green Peer Network): Affordable housing professionals sharing green information with their peers;
- National, State and Local Policy Support: A collaborative effort to encourage policies that promote green affordable housing;
- Green Neighborhood Commercial Corridors: The incorporation of sustainability practices into the physical improvements and commercial practices of neighborhood businesses.
Green Connection Loan Fund
The Green Connection Loan Fund provides nonprofit developers with preferred financing to help incorporate green, sustainable materials and design features into affordable housing. Loans of up to $250,000 are made to community development organizations with a strong commitment to sustainable building. Along with the loans, Green Connection provides technical assistance. Download a PDF version of the Green Connection Loan Fund description here or, for additional information, contact Senior Program Officer Peggy Jen at (415) 397-7322 x 16 or pjen@lisc.org. Bay Area LISC thanks Catholic Healthcare West for providing a $500,000 investment to help launch the fund.
More information
Download the complete Green Connection program description here.
If you area interested in supporting or finding out more about Green Connection, please contacts us today:
Jennifer Somers, LEED AP
Program Officer
Bay Area LISC
415.397.7322
jsomers@lisc.org
369 Pine Street, Suite 350
San Francisco, CA 94104