In the past few years, green affordable housing projects have emerged across the country, demonstrating that green building is not only feasible, but a vital component in providing healthier and more cost efficient housing opportunities for low-income families. Urban Edge completed Egleston Crossing, the agency’s first green affordable housing project in 2005.

About Egleston Crossing

Egleston Crossing is a mixed-use brownfield redevelopment project located in the heart of Egleston Square, a neighborhood commercial center in Roxbury, MA. The development consists of:

• Two new buildings with 64 units of affordable housing
• Supportive services for 15 units set aside for formerly homeless households with disabilities 
• 8,300 square feet of ground floor commercial space.
• $21 million project, 22 sources of financing 
• Transit Oriented Development 
• Renewable energy and numerous elements of green development

Egleston Crossing’s Green Elements

• Sustainable Sites
• Water Efficiency
• Energy & Atmosphere 
• Materials & Resources
• Indoor Environmental Air Quality

Click here to learn more.

Going Green – Steps to a Green Project

• Assemble a Green project team  
• Determine your project’s level of Green. 
• Set priorities
• Use Green project standards and cost/benefit analysis tools 
• Start early and focus on these Green priorities throughout the development process

Click here to learn more.

Lessons Learned 

• Choose an Architect with Green Building experience (LEED Accredited is a good start) 
• Set your priorities early
• Get the engineers involved early 
•  Maximize Funding Sources (Energy Star, Keyspan, Mass Technology Collaborative)
• Review submittals for Green compliance
  

Resources

General

• Green RFPs: A How To Guide by Ariella Rosenberg
• “Getting Started on Green Affordable Housing” by Edward F. Connelly
• Egleston Crossing Feasibility Study (pdf)
• “Making the Case for Building Green” , BuildingGreen.com
• Green Team Selection (ppt) -HMFH presentation to Urban Edge Real Estate department about strategies for selecting a green team.
  

UEGreenTeam032206.ppt (6.2 MB)