“EAH Housing accomplished
this without any new
subsidy loans from any
source,” said Matt Steinle,
EAH vice president for real
estate development.
OKAMOTO SAIJO ARCHI TEC TURE
EAH Housing: A Sustainable Vision
EAHHousing wasoriginallythe Ecumen- ical Association for Housing, founded after the death of Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. on the belief that attractive affordable housing is the cornerstone to solving
many social justice issues. Since 1968, EAH
has developed, acquired or renovated more
than 6,400 affordable-housing units at 77
properties in California and Hawaii. EAH
manages 84 properties serving more than
20,000 families, seniors, students and people
with disabilities. These communities, in 43
municipalities, range in scope from rural
developments in Northern California to the
32-story Kukui Tower in Honolulu.
The vision of EAH Housing has been
one of balanced, sustainable communities
composed of people of many income levels,
educational backgrounds, job skills, religions
and cultures. Long before the term “smart
growth” was coined, EAH was building infill
affordable housing that contributed to the
health and diversity of its community. Everything EAH does supports economic diversity,
social equity and a more sustainable future for
communities. As the organization looks into
its fifth decade and beyond, it is acutely aware
of the environmental issues that increasingly
challenge local and global communities.
As a step to incorporating this awareness
into its mission, EAH Housing is developing
a Sustainable Communities Initiative. The
organization plans to build upon its commitment to the “three E’s” of sustainability:
environmental quality, economic vitality and
social equity.
When assessing the environmental impact
of any project, EAH Housing takes into consideration the whole life cycle of the property. This ranges from site selection, land-use
planning and architectural design, energy and
water usage, to construction materials and
maintenance requirements.
EAH Housing’s staff have been strong
advocates for smart growth policy as a
method of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Smart growth is all about expanding
housing options for a variety of household
types, with a wide range of incomes, near
retail and job centers.
Some examples of the multi-faceted
efforts that EAH Housing and its partners
make to decrease communities’ ecological
footprints:
•;PV;arrays;to;reduce;operating;costs;and
dependence on fossil fuels;
• Material-efficient framing to reduce
construction material use;
•;Natural;sunlight;for;passive;heating;and
heat-conserving windows and insulation;
• Locally sourced, recycled materials
(concrete, carpet and plastic decking, for
instance);
•;Energy;Star;appliances;to;improve;ener-gy efficiency; and
•;Low-flow;fixtures,;irrigation-free;native
landscaping and water reclamation systems to
limit the use of water.
EAH Housing has high standards for
environmental quality to directly benefit
those who interact with the communities on
a daily basis: residents and employees. The
EAH Sustainable Communities Initiative
guidelines promote the selection of less-toxic
materials and products, such as low- or no-VOC paints and formaldehyde-free insulation, and the creation of a Green Operations
and Maintenance Best Practices Manual.
