A group of statewide housing organizations, including VHFA, have formed the Vermont Green Home Alliance.
The alliance, announced at a press conference at the Champlain Valley Expo this afternoon, promotes and encourages "green" building practices in Vermont.
“VHFA's been a strong supporter of energy efficiency and green building design techniques for many years," said VHFA Chief of Program Operations David Adams.
"We appreciate the opportunity that was made possible through the hard work of all our partners to understand and better promote the benefits and importance of green building practices in Vermont."
The group's Web site — www.vermontgreenhomealliance.org — helps potential homebuilders understand the components of building green and the rating systems available for certification.
Green building includes the concepts of:
- Minimal adverse impact on the ecosystem
- Reduced reliance on automobiles
- Energy efficiency
- Water conservation
- Using low-environmental-impact materials
- Durability
VHFA's green building standards (352 KB; PDF) are available online.
VHFA's standards must be followed for all development projects that receive Housing Credits, construction and/or permanent loans from VHFA, unless a waiver is granted by our Development department.
The only exception to that rule is if a project already in VHFA's portfolio is refinancing.
Alliance members include: the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Vermont, Building for Social Responsibility, Vermont Energy Investment Corp., VHFA and Vermont Green Building Network.