Every five years, Green Communities, the one-and-only green building standard created with, and for, the affordable housing sector, gets a refresh. Over the last several months, we've worked diligently to develop the 2026 version--our 20th anniversary edition of the program. 

Now, we’re focusing on the next standard for green affordable housing in New York City, and we’re asking you to weigh in! 

The first draft of the The NYC Overlay of the 2026 Enterprise Green Communities Criteria is open for public comment through December 12.  

We’ve built off the national 2026 Enterprise Green Communities Criteria - the new best-in-class standard for green affordable housing that will launch next year – to respond to the needs and priorities of developers and project teams in New York. And that’s why we need to hear from you! 

We're excited to share these and other proposed changes: 

• Streamlined compliance requirements for 7 of the national criteria assumed-as-of-right for NYC projects to reduce administrative work for project teams. 

• Established alignment between New York agency and Green Communities zero-emissions-over-time criteria 

• Enhanced resilience pathways to respond to NYC risks and priorities 

• Coordinated technical and process alignment with HPD Design Guidelines 

• Expanded optional criteria to include more right-sized pathways for NYC projects to go above and beyond  

Your feedback on these and other proposed changes related to energy, health, and resilience is essential. Please comment by December 12th.  

We can’t wait to hear what you think! 

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