Well, who could have seen 2020 coming when we were considering our plans and goals for the year in early January! What a year it has been. The coronavirus has presented many challenges, compounding the growing awareness of social and racial inequality. Here at Urban Habitat Initiatives we’ve had a busy and fulfilling year – here are some of the highlights.

Addressing the current times. The coronavirus and the calls for social and racial reckoning require response. In May, I addressed the United States Green Building Council, or USGBC, at its Equity Summit and called for a recommitment to affordable housing in the programs and services offered by the organization. In September I moderated a plenary on Resilience and Equity at the Greenbuild Resilience Summit. Walker and I wrote an article for Shelterforce describing how green affordable housing is better prepared to address challenges presented by the coronavirus, and the Green Home Institute webinar had a similar theme. Green affordable housing is an essential element of advancing equity—in housing and in sustainability.

Green Certifications. Several client projects reached construction completion and were able to achieve Leadership in Environment and Efficiency Design, or LEED certification. Bartlett Station, a master-planned redevelopment of Bartlett Yard in Roxbury, received LEED ND Gold certification for its redevelopment plan. LEED for Neighborhood Development is a rating system that guides green planning at the neighborhood scale. Soon after the master plan received its LEED ND certification, Building B, the first completed project at Bartlett Station, received LEED Midrise Multifamily Gold certification. We are proud to support the Nuestra Comunidad/Crosswinds team in achieving their sustainability goals for Bartlett Station.