Enterprise conducts study to understand link between green housing and people's health

Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. (Enterprise), a national leader in affordable housing, is conducting a longitudinal study designed to explore improvements in objective and self-reported health parameters, overall quality of life and healthcare use among residents of affordable apartment buildings that receive green renovations. The seven-year study will be funded by The JPB Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and Wells Fargo, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine will provide technical assistance.

"Enterprise's health study is a crucial step toward understanding the linkages between green affordable housing and people's health," said Terri Ludwig, president and CEO of Enterprise Community Partners. "We will learn more about what we're already seeing in our work, that integrating healthy building practices in developing and preserving affordable housing generates important social and economic benefits."

The study will be important in quantifying and clarifying the benefits of the Enterprise Green Communities Criteria, the first national framework for creating and preserving green affordable housing. Data showing significant improvements in health leading to a reduction in healthcare expenses through Medicaid and other programs could deeply impact policymakers' financial calculus as they craft public housing policies for years to come.

"We believe that 'green' buildings are healthier and more efficient for our communities," said Stephanie Rico, Wells Fargo Environmental Affairs vice president. "Our goal is to understand and measure the full impact of these benefits so that we can make smarter investment decisions."

The study will take place in New York City, Cleveland and San Francisco and will capture health outcomes before and after substantial rehabilitation of apartment buildings meeting the Enterprise Green Communities Criteria. Enterprise plans to use the results of this study to inform and educate investors and government partners at the city, state and federal levels about the importance of green, healthy affordable housing, and the potential healthcare cost savings that can result from it.

Over the long term, the study results could transform building codes, regulations and developer behavior on a large scale so that all affordable housing is efficient, environmentally responsible and healthy for residents and communities.