MULTIFAMILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT IS HEALTHY, EFFICIENT, COST EFFECTIVE AND LEED PLATINUM

INTRODUCTION

A developer who had chronic asthma as a child built the first LEED ^® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certified apartment complex in Idaho. He has also heard from two residents that their asthma no longer resulted in attacks due to eliminating triggers in the interior environment. Eight years and a dozen multifamily affordable housing projects later, the LEED consultant on these projects has gathered insight on best practices, lessons learned and strategies that result in resident, owner and project team satisfaction. Ten projects have achieved LEED Platinum certification (two more are still under construction, but are on track for Platinum), and the HERS (Home Energy Rating System) scores are as low as 48. Feedback has been collected on what works, what doesn't and what matters most: from low energy bills to living in a healthy home and not having asthma attacks. These projects debunk the assumptions that energy efficiency adds too much cost or that green homes are only for the wealthy.