Press Release

BOSTON BUILDING CONSORTIUM

ANNOUNCES FORMATION AND LAUNCH OF GREEN HOMES NORTHEAST

BOSTON – June 23 – A consortium of local and national green building organizations have announced today the formation and launch of Green Homes Northeast (GHNE) in the Boston Metro Area. Founded by local and national green building organizations and funded by The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and an anonymous donor, GHNE seeks to transform the residential building marketplace so that healthy, energy and resource-efficient homes become common practice in Boston and nationwide.

Last November, Mayor Menino's Green Building Task Force concluded its work and issued a report and recommendations. Mayor Menino has endorsed the Task Force's work and created a City Green Team to implement key Task Force recommendations including the creation of a Residential Assistance effort and a Residential Recognition program.

Green Homes Northeast and its programs will provide technical training for building professionals, educational workshops for homeowners, and policy assistance for cities over the next two years. The programs will employ cutting-edge “social marketing” principles which involve working very closely with cities, municipalities, the building industry, and non-profit organizations to stimulate the market for green homes. Similar programs have been successful in major metropolitan areas around the country such as Denver , Chicago , San Francisco , Atlanta , and Portland .

In the words of Mayor Menino, “Green building is good for your wallet. It's good for the environment. And it's good for people.” Green homes provide a multitude of benefits for homeowners, including: Higher quality materials, comfort and durability, improved indoor air quality, lower monthly operating costs, reduced dependence on imported energy, and less impact on the environment.

Through its commitment to and promotion of green building and renovation, GHNE seeks to stimulate education and awareness, new business growth, and job creation in the Boston metro area.