Resilience in the
Face of a Pandemic

An article by Kim Vermeer and Walker Wells was published by Shelterforce Magazine

By KLARA KAUFMAN

Shelterforce Magazine published an article at the end of May, authored by Kim Vermeer and Walker Wells, titled Resilience in the Face of a Pandemic: Green Affordable Housing Matters More Than Ever. Shelterforce Magazine is a widely read, independent publication that serves community development practitioners across the country. Inspired by ideas from their new book Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing, Revised Edition, the article addresses the role of green building in rethinking the new, post Covid-19 normal.

 The article makes the case that green building, often seen as a luxury, is essential to healthy and equitable homes. Kim and Walker argue that affordable housing organizations, already focused on the health of their residents, benefit from the ways that green building creates resilience in the face of a sudden public health threat. “Resilience in the Face of a Pandemic: Green Affordable Housing Matters More Than Ever” offers suggestions for housing developers to ensure that green building addresses the needs of the most vulnerable members of our communities.

 The article builds on arguments for green building and operations and integrated design developed in Blueprint For Greening Affordable Housing, Revised Edition, published by Island Press in July. Learn more about the book that inspired the Shelterforce article here.