New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Susan Bass Levin has announced the creation of a Green Building Task Force designed to augment DCA’s noted green programs and policy initiatives.
“Through its various affiliates and agencies, the DCA is positioning the State to meet the challenges ahead while providing healthy, environmentally advanced and economically sustainable homes today,” said Levin. “Green affordable housing and renewable energy directly benefit individuals and families by lowering utility costs and creating healthier living environments. It is important that we coordinate these nationally significant environmental efforts to ensure we achieve Governor Corzine’s mandate to increase energy efficiency in New Jersey.”
Last month, Governor Corzine signed an executive order creating the post of Director of Energy Savings and outlining steps to increase energy efficiency in state government. The Governor tasked the Director with finding savings through energy efficiencies while taking steps to establish New Jersey as a leader in its responsible stewardship of natural resources.
The DCA Task Force will be comprised of representatives from DCA’s Housing and Codes Divisions, the Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA), New Jersey Redevelopment Authority (NJRA), and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC).
The Task Force will be charged with building upon two first-in-the-nation programs developed within DCA. Recently, the Meadowlands Commission unveiled a plan to generate enough renewable energy using solar power in the Meadowlands to serve 2,800 homes and reduce energy costs for municipalities and schools, as well as become an economic engine for renewable energy businesses.
This initiative follows in the footsteps of DCA’s New Jersey Affordable Green program, a statewide affordable housing program. The DCA recently said announced that the Affordable Green program has increased the use of innovative green materials and building technologies in over 2,000 affordable homeownership and rental units in the state.
DCA’s Green Homes Office is currently developing a Green Building Primer to work in partnership with municipal officials to illustrate the benefits of green building practices and offer their resources on how to implement sustainable, green development principles and policies in their communities.
