The PHB Affordable Housing Green Building Policy aims to increase the sustainability of PHB-funded housing and focuses on three building performance metrics: energy, water, and indoor air quality. Under this policy, developers are required to seek third-party certification for green design and development practices. PHB has implemented minor updates to the policy as of May 5, 2022, and plans to implement a second, more holistic policy update following a comprehensive review of the policy and incorporating input from community members and expert stakeholders.
Brief History
- 2001 – City of Portland Green Building Policy required new construction and major renovations of all city facilities to be LEED certified and included a provision for affordable housing that implemented the Portland Development Commission (PDC, now Prosper Portland) Affordable Housing Green Building Guidelines.
- 2009 – Portland Housing Bureau formed; PHB continued to reference PDC’s green building policy, which was LEED Gold for new construction and LEED Silver for rehabilitation.
- 2017 – PHB created and City Council approved a new, PHB-specific green building policy that better serves multifamily affordable housing.
More about HOU-1.07 (City Auditor's Office) - 2022 – PHB Affordable Housing Green Building Policy - Update 1
Brief Summary
The current PHB Affordable Housing Green Building Policy utilizes third-party certification via Earth Advantage, Enterprise Green Communities, or LEED, and is designed to simplify and streamline documentation requirements by focusing on the three metrics with greatest impact on residents and building owners: energy, water and indoor air quality (IAQ).
Updates
May 5, 2022 –PHB completed a minor update to the PHB Affordable Housing Green Building Policy. This update is expected to have little or no impact on project design, cost or schedule. It includes:
- Light edits to clarify the language of the 2017 PHB Affordable Housing Green Building Policy
- Updates to technical performance standards referenced in the Policy
- The addition of the Enterprise Green Communities program as a path for certification
2022–2023 – PHB plans to launch a process for Policy review, stakeholder engagement and Policy updates. It will include a deeper evaluation of the policy and performance standards, a more detailed cross-check with all relevant codes, regulations, certifications, and the exploration of opportunities to advance climate resilience through building design and operations.
Submit questions or feedback
We invite any questions or feedback you have on how this policy can best serve our residents, owners, and planet to suzanne.zuniga@portlandoregon.gov.