HOUSING ASSISTANCE COUNCIL
GREEN BUILDING/HEALTHY HOMES INITIATIVE

Green Building/Healthy Home Technology Web-based Resources

EarthCraft House

Website: http://www.earthcrafthouse.org

EarthCraft House, in partnership with the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association is a blueprint for healthy, comfortable, affordable homes that cut energy and water bills and protect the environment. EarthCraft Houses provide builders a sign of quality and commitment to homebuyers and their surrounding community. This site provides information and portals to training, one-on-one design and construction advice, marketing materials and direct referrals.

EarthCraft House worksheets and guidelines are available in "pdf" and "excel" formats and can be downloaded from the website.

Enterprise Foundation

Website: http://www.enterprisefoundation.org/resources/green/index.asp

The Enterprise Foundation, The Enterprise Social Investment Corporation, and the Natural Resources Defense Council have joined together to create a Green Communities initiative. Green Communities is a five-year, $555 million initiative to build more than 8,500 environmentally healthy homes for low-income families. The initiative provides grants, financing, tax-credit equity, and technical assistance to developers who meet Green Communities criteria for affordable housing that promotes health, conserves energy and natural resources, and provides easy access to jobs, schools, and services. Visit the web site for a Green Communities Initiative Application overview,

EPA Green Building

Website: http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/

EPA leads the nation's environmental science, research, education and assessment efforts. The Environmental Protection Agency's site contains a wealth of information on green building: green-built schools, residences, and office buildings.

Global Green USA

Website: http://www.globalgreen.org/index.cfm

Global Green USA, a U.S. affiliate of Green Cross International works with government, industry and individuals to create a global value shift towards a sustainable and secure future.

Visit Global Green USA on the web for more information on Weapons of Mass Destruction, Climate change and Energy, Green Building and Cities, Water Treatment and Conservation and Recycling, information on the Green School Symposium and way to get involved.

Home Depot Foundation

Website: http://www.homedepotfoundation.org/

Visit the Home Depot Foundation website for more information on how to apply to the Home Depot Foundation for grants, application timelines, review the frequently asked questions, to obtain lists of previous year awardees, and to take the eligibility test to see if your organization qualities.

The Home Depot Foundation works with nonprofit partners to restore urban and rural forests in order to create healthier natural areas and a better environment for our communities. The Home Depot Foundation makes grants to 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charities in the United States and to charitable organizations in Canada. To maximize the impact of Foundation resources, The Home Depot Foundation only funds organizations and programs that meet their eligibility test. Grants typically range from $10,000 to $50,000.

Homes Across America

Website: http://www.homes-across-america.org

Homes Across America, is a “searchable technology showcase” meant to connect homebuyers, builders, designers, and technical assistance providers around the country interested in resource-efficient homes.

HUD Healthy Homes Initiative

Website: http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead/hhi/hhiresources.cfm

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) launched its Healthy Homes Initiative (HHI) to protect children and their families from housing-related health and safety hazards. This site shares the successes, best practices, and tools developed by (HHI); aimed to help existing grantees, potential grantees, and other community organizations make homes “healthier” and “safer” for all residents, especially children.

This site contains resources on the following topics:

• Program Development and Startup
• Assessment
• Interventions
• Community Education and Outreach
• Technical Resource Materials
• Program Evaluation

NAHB

Website: http://www.nahb.org/default.aspx

The National Association of Home Builders sponsors the NAHB National Green Building Conference, the NAHB National Green Building Awards, and provides information on how to use sustainable design to build homes that use renewable materials prudently to conserve energy and environmental resources.

Visit NAHB on the web for to access information on:

• Indoor Air Quality
• Radon 
• Builders, Remodelers and Indoor Air Quality
• The New American Home 2005 Blends Universal Design With Mediterranean Splendor 
• Home Builders Call Attention To National Fire Prevention Week October 3-9 
• Building From the Ground Up: The Government Relations Manual for Local Builders 
• International Residential Code - 2000  
• International Residential Code - 2003
• Pocket Codes: Electrical 
• Pocket Codes: Framing 
• Pocket Codes: Plumbing 
• NAHB's Model Green Home Building Guidelines

National Center for Healthy Housing

Website: http://www.centerforhealthyhousing.org/index.html

The National Center for Healthy Housing site provides support services, training and reference materials specifically designed to assist individuals working in the different arenas that influence the reduction of residential environmental hazards.

Visit The National Center for Healthy Housing information on Scientific Research and Program Evaluation, which includes summaries of the Center's ongoing and completed research studies to determine the most effective ways to reduce lead and other residential environmental hazards; Technical Assistance and Training, which includes d escriptions of the support and training that is available to organizations that wish to establish or refine lead hazard control programs or incorporate lead hazard control into ongoing activities; Rules, Regulations, and Policy , which highlight current federal, state, and local rules, including those by HUD and EPA and tools that help in understanding and implementing them; s ervices offered, which provides a summary of services available to help organizations and government agencies, contractors, and individuals who are working to reduce lead hazards; Resources Fact sheets, guides, and other reference materials about healthy housing and lead hazard control and prevention.

NeighborWorks America Green Training Program

Website: http://www.nw.org/network/training/training.asp

NeighborWorks America's Training Division is dedicated to providing the highest quality training for community development practitioners and resident leaders throughout the country. Visit the Neighborworks America website to find out about upcoming training with emphasis on Green Building through Construction and Production Management.

Partnerships in Home Energy Efficiency

Website: http://www.energysavers.gov/

Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency (PHEE) is a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

PHEE's goals are to:

Southface

Website: http://www.southface.org/web/resources&services/SFGBS/sf_green-building-services.htm

Visit Southface online, where you'll find easy ways to save energy, conserve water and preserve the environment. Southface offers a wide range of services to the commercial building industry that facilitates the green building process. Their expertise spans all phases of a project from conceptual design through construction to project hand-over and continuous operation and maintenance. Southface Green Building Services strives to engage and educate the entire team on emerging green building issues in order that these concepts become standard practice.

• Services available from Southface include:
• Project Launch - Eco-charrette (design workshop) facilitation and coordination
• Mid-project peer review
• LEED^TM consultation - research, document preparation, task management
• Environmental materials research and recommendations
• Energy performance modeling and building optimization
• Commercial and residential energy code training and compliance documentation
• Case study and education development
• RFQ, RFP and design competition assistance and coordination (green team building)
• Project-specific educational presentations for the project team or client
• Project goal-setting workshops to identify green opportunities
• Greening of bid documents for contractors

U.S. Green Building Council

Website: http://www.usgbc.org/

USGBC Resources brings you online green building tools and information from the USGBC and other organizations. USGBC members have access to additional Members-Only resources, including the USGBC newsletter archives, conference transcripts and presentations, member surveys, USGBC Strategic Plan, and a fully searchable member directory.

Visit USGBC’s website also to obtain information on training workshops; Greenbuild, the annual USGBC International Conference and Expo; and to view upcoming events or the event calendar archive; also access the LEED^® Green Building Rating System.