Healthy living environments with affordable utility expenses are possible, and are fundamental to resilient communities.
The release of the 2020 Enterprise Green Communities Criteria marks the 15th Anniversary of Enterprise’s commitment
to well-designed affordable housing. The 2020 Criteria was developed to translate the collective expertise of leading
housing and green building practitioners into a clear, cost-effective framework for all affordable housing types.

The 2020 Criteria was designed to improve resident health and well-being through affordable housing design, construction, and operations practices.
Building upon a long standing commitment to healthy housing, the new 2020 Criteria reflects the building sector’s increasing focus on healthy environments. For the first time, common spaces in all certified projects will be required to be smoke free. All projects must commit to promoting health through design by either addressing active design, Universal Design or healing-centered design. And, the 2020 Criteria moves beyond reducing VOCs and incorporates new third-party verified labels, and standards into optional criteria, ultimately reducing residents’ exposure to chemicals from building materials.