Progress has always moved at the speed of trust and innovation in our field. Enterprise Green Communities is a powerful case in point. When we launched the program 20 years ago, the notion that you could make housing both green and affordable was a bold proposition. Many contended it was not feasible — not then, not ever, not on any scale.
Two decades later, I am proud to say, we proved what is possible. Green Communities remains the only national green building standard created with and for the affordable housing sector. More than that, the program has allowed affordable housing to lead the building industry in raising the bar to create affordable homes that are not just energy efficient but also climate resilient and healthier for residents and the surrounding community.
Our success is rooted in our collaborative approach. It is the Enterprise way. We brought together residents and community leaders, building and climate experts, housing developers and practitioners, and public health professionals to identify and integrate the most advanced thinking, technology, materials, and practices. It was through that collective endeavor that we earned our sector’s trust and inspired a powerful wave of green building across the industry.
Once again, the latest edition of Green Communities reflects the input of a myriad of thoughtful leaders in our field and beyond — with more than 1,000 comments received on our initial draft. As a result, this 20th anniversary edition of the criteria offers a roadmap for greening all affordable housing in the United States — and ensuring good homes are available for generations to come.
With your involvement, since 2004, we have accomplished so much together:
- More than 231,000 homes have been certified to the Green Communities Criteria.
- We have integrated green building standards into city, state, and federal policies. Today, 30 states nationwide — along with the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Chicago, and New York City — require or incentivize Enterprise Green Communities as part of their affordable housing financing programs, more so than any other green building program.
- We have leveraged capital, investing more than $3.9 billion in the development and preservation of green and affordable homes.
- We have addressed the false choice between “affordable” and “sustainable,” through research into the incremental cost of green building.
It is thanks to the vision and diligence of so many leaders within and across Enterprise that we have reached these milestones. I want to especially acknowledge Krista Egger, Ray Demers, and Shelby O’Neill for their ongoing dedication to advancing and scaling Green Communities. Their expertise and their commitment to ensuring the criteria are accessible, achievable, and evolving are unmatched.
Our journey is far from over. We face unprecedented housing affordability challenges. But we have the knowledge, solutions, and determination to address them. Green Communities offers a pathway to ensure people of all ages can live in a healthy home with utility expenses that don’t require families to make tough choices between paying their electric bill or buying groceries, and the security of knowing that if severe weather strikes, they will have a place to return home.
That is why I am so proud of our leadership on green building — and overjoyed to welcome you to the 2026 Enterprise Green Communities Criteria. Thank you for trusting us to launch the next generation of this important work.
Sincerely,
Chief Executive Officer and President
Enterprise Community Partners
studio CO’
University of Detroit Mercy
Special thanks to our Partner Working Group, including invaluable input from many of our longtime partners at the city, state, and federal level. And to the ever-growing network of affordable housing developers and project teams applying the Green Communities Criteria across the country, we applaud your commitment. This work is ever more important.
Thanks to all the Enterprise staff who provided valuable input to the 2026 Criteria. The Criteria development, review, and revision process was overseen by Enterprise’s Building Resilient Futures team: Krista Egger, Ray Demers, Mary Ayala, Michelle Diller, Shelby O’Neill, Kiera Quigley, Shivali Gowda, Jackie Montesdeoca, Elizabeth Geisler, Naomi Wang, and Christopher Hauserman, as well as p.j. melton. Any errors in this document are the sole responsibility of Enterprise.