Development has always been under local control in this country as when building codes were instituted – some states did not do this until the middle of the 20th century -  the intent was to protect public health and safety.  There have been abuses, but the underlying belief that local officials are better equipped to protect local interests than state or federal government might be has been relatively sacred.

Beyond the extra fees often charged for sustainable design review, one of the frustrations for green building advocates is the long delays experienced when a local building department doesn’t have the expertise to evaluate a design. The bigger towns have lots of engineers but the smaller ones generally rely on one or two people who have been trained in conventional building.  The diversity of green building designs, techniques, materials and practices has been the first major change many local officials have experienced during their entire careers. Other local building officials are overwhelmed by the learning curve required by the innovations in green building which can result in a much longer and more expensive process for builders.  It is frustrating for innovators, but even more so for those builders who are using standard green building techniques officially sanctioned by the industry and the Federal government for over a decade.

Recognizing the building code roadblock contributes to extra costs and time delays, the EPA recently released a green building toolkit. The toolkit’s purpose is to provide the assistance local governments need to assess their performance and develop an action plan to change systems and outdated practices. (The toolkit can be downloaded here.) The Resource Guide also provides information on how to encourage green tools and aids local officials in implementing techniques that will smooth the necessary permitting and regulatory changes.

Apartment owners and builders who are interested in future development may want to join the EPA in encouraging their local municipalities to analyze their process.  The sooner local governments upgrade and implement sustainable design building codes and streamline the permitting process, the better able they will be to respond to developers’ requests when the market improves.

Other articles of interest:

Investing in Green Property Improvements

Sun West Leads Green Building for Multifamily

Green Property Insurance Incentives

The percentage of Americans who own their own home recently dropped down to around 66.9%, after hovering a percent above. Over 3.5 million people entered the rental market in the last three years and according to the National Multi Housing Council, for every one percent the homeownership rate in this country falls, one million new renters are created. That is one million more people who sustainability advocates tell us may start living a more sustainable lifestyle than was possible in their previous homes. (Reduced commutes, less private car ownership, smaller living spaces to condition, fewer lawns to mow, et cetera.)

The increase in renters is obviously favorable for the apartment sector – the vacancy factor decreased from 9.4 percent at the end of 2009 to 8.1 percent in June 2010. Experts predict the collapse of the single-family housing market, and retraction of government support for personal homeownership and continuing market fallout will continue to improve the outlook for the apartment sector. As long as people are concerned about their jobs, they will be more inclined to sign short-term rental leases rather than thirty year mortgages.

Commercial and residential owners are being encouraged - and may soon be mandated by the government – to measure energy use as the first step in conservation.  Education outlining the benefits of improved building envelopes and greener operations has also become easily accessible.  Building staffs are being trained around the country and making a difference, but no matter how professional, informed, dedicated and enthusiastic a property manager might be, real results will require the leadership of our country’s property owners. If you’re one of those who thinks this will never happen, think again. There are shining examples of property management companies that have brilliantly based their success on the green movement.  We’d like to highlight an example of just this sort of ‘top-down’ green management within the apartment sector.

SaresRegis Group

Irvine-based SaresRegis Group (SRG) manages 16,000 apartment units in 56 apartment communities in California, Arizona and Colorado.  The list of industry awards on their website requires an extensive scroll-down. One of the most recent the company received was the Green Business of the Year award in construction from the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce in November of 2009. The award was given for SRG’s Anaheim project, The Crossing, which is a 312 unit urban infill and re-use project built on an old warehouse site.

The company achieved a 75 percent recycling rate during construction after a 94 percent landfill diversion rate during demolition. They also donated 70,000 cubic yards of clean sand to the Public Works department. The units began leasing in November of 2009 with wonderful green features like individual apartment chutes for recyclables.

Perhaps as importantly, SRG’s Multifamily Property Management Division is committed to green management on all its units and makes sure staff understands that sustainability is not just a corporate value but a successful and profitable business plan. In fact, SRG’s comprehensive Eco-Apartment Management specifically involves staff, residents, vendors and leasing agents as full partners in its sustainable management.

Deb Maietta, the multifamily division’s Senior VP, wrote in a recent company newsletter that an example of this commitment is the company’s effort to take ”every feasible step to save power and water, recycle and eliminate the use of toxic cleaning chemicals.”

Maietta further wrote that, ”Everyone in our division knows how important this is for our operating costs and for the planet. Take the replacement of incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs. Over its lifetime each compact fluorescent light will save electricity equivalent to burning a quarter-ton of coal compared to what it takes to power an incandescent bulb.”

Perhaps what is most inspiring about SRG’s top-down green property management is the impact this policy has on so many families and communities and the example their profitability and success sets for other building owners.

Making the switch from standard management may take an initial investment of time and varying amounts of capital, but the payback can start immediately. Utility management is one area where property owners and managers can have a full impact, but there are many potential starting points.

1. Benchmark your building through ENERGYSTAR’s Portfolio Manager free software and see how your building compares to others of similar age and size. A passive approach to electricity, gas and water bills is really just a cop-out. A victim mentality doesn’t serve anyone, least of all the owners.

2. Develop defined sustainability goals with deadlines such as these:

• Implement sustainability campaign to engage staff/residents
• Expand recycling to include donation box and composting
• Convert to email communication with residents
• Weatherizing, caulking and sealing each unit
• Eliminate inventory of VOC products and replace ASAP
• Outfit all units with aerators and low-flow showerheads (30-60 days)
• Replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs or LEDs by December 2010
• Replace all appliances in building C by 2010, building D by 2011
• Replace toilets with dual flush fixtures and retrofits by December 2012

Without a plan it is human nature to allow everyday duties to take precedence over a wish list. If a manager needs to dedicate a day or two a month to sustainability improvements, write it into the schedule in ink.

3. Train (or pay for someone else to educate) your staff, vendors, leasing people, pest control companies, landscapers and residents in the best sustainability behaviors and practices. At this point everyone realizes they need to know these things, so make it easy.

4. Keep compliance convenient for tenants and staff by being clear and obvious about sustainable practices. For example, make recycling easy by having it in an accessible area, labeling bins in large letters (all building languages) and offering tenants smaller attractive recycle bins for their apartments. Believe it or not, decor concerns deter some people from recycling, even if they think they should.

5. Start right with a green lease that bans smoking in units, requires an email address, mandates immediate notification of leaks/running toilets and guarantees your staff and sub-contractors will use only non-toxic cleaning and maintenance products as well.

6. Provide a gift basket to new residents of non-toxic cleaning products, GreenSeal certified dishwasher and laundry detergent and re-usuable grocery bags emblazoned with your community’s logo.

7. Practice what you preach.  Maintain electronic files and recordkeeping, recycle, use recycled paper when paperless documents are not possible, and ensure contracts with your vendors and sub-contractors require they use Green Seal equivalent products and sustainable practices.

Being a leader is not easy, but when it comes to building sustainability, it is certainly much more profitable and rewarding.

Other Articles of Interest:

Upgrade Applications & Leases with an Email Contact

Living & Working Smaller in Big America

A Coffee Break Confession

Health Department Lists: Health inspectors may become a fixture in multifamily’s future and not just in subsidized housing. The anti-smoking ban in public places in some states is getting much more personal. In September 2010 the Tacoma-Pierce County (WA) Health Board members will consider a proposal to classify secondhand smoke as a “nuisance” in multi-unit housing, which many eco-activists have been promoting so that it may be banned completely.

Apartment Smoking Bans: Calabasas, California was the first city to aggressively ban smoking on city streets and any place ‘the public might be anticipated to be’. The latter was interpreted to cover all city property except the inside of peoples’ single-family homes.  With regard to multifamily, however, they also fiddled with that and required apartment owners to create smokefree buildings – or sections of buildings - with defined goals of reaching a majority of smoke-free units within a few years. About 28% of all adults smoke, but studies show even smokers often prefer a smoke-free building. In Tacoma-Pierce County in Washington state, 82% of those interviewed for a survey preferred smokefree buildings. Multifamily’s issue is that the shared housing allows secondhand smoke to filter through outlets, hallways and ventilation systems and eco-activists claim there is no way to eliminate risk to others.

Government Oversight: As Americans become more educated and concerned about indoor environmental quality and its effects on health, expect local and federal government officials to become more broadly involved in building management. City and state revenues are down and it may be just a matter of time before some civic thinker suggests more inspections will also levy more fees and fines. Some communities are already requiring benchmarking of buildings and these sorts of requirements will generate the need for government staff to supervise and evaluate results.

Bed Bug Disclosure: Scientists are unsure whether the current bed bug epidemic spreading across the Western world is the result of imported bugs or bans on pesticides like DDT, but nobody disputes this serious problem is rapidly getting worse. The New York state legislature reacted to complaints recently by passing a law that requires New York City landlords to disclose the bed bug history of an apartment to all prospective tenants. The law goes one step further, however, as it also requires disclosure of the bed bug histories of any neighboring units and buildings. Bed bugs have been found in libraries, offices, homes and even on public transportation, so don’t think your tenants are immune. Any inhabited building can become infested, as we are their only prey and they don’t discriminate. Support for an expanded bill is expected to become more popular – it is not statewide - as more infestations are found outside of New York City.

Tenant Bug-Free Certifications: At present there are no known diseases carried by bed bugs, but that doesn’t make them any prettier.  Some property managers are including language in their leases that requires tenants to certify that they accepted the apartment as ‘bed bug free’ on move-in day. The Columbus Apartment Association suggests their members give infestation information to prospective tenants which outlines several links from Harvard, Cornell and Ohio state. They also furnish a sample application document in pdf format which property managers can use to require new tenants to certify they are bug-free and have personally examined their:

• Mattress
• Box spring
• Bedframe and headboard
• Couches, sofas, chairs and recliners
• Nightstands, dressers, clothing
• Suitcases and backpacks
• General inspection of current premises including baseboards, carpet and rug edges, window and door molding and drapery and curtain folds

In light of the difficulty in eradicating bed bugs once they have begun co-habitating with residents, a professional pest inspection between turnovers may be a very wise strategy for owners and prospective residents. Owners and residents in New York City have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars getting rid of major infestations, so it is better to identify the problem early. A professional’s pest-free report is also great documentation if you later need to prove the apartment’s pest status in court. Expect tenants and owners to sue over this issue in one of those ‘he-said/she-said’ struggles. Keep in mind that bed bugs are not caused by poor hygiene, however, they may be more difficult to find in clutter.

Municipal/Water Utility Charges: As cities and utility districts search for new revenue sources to fill huge budget deficits, they are beginning to target apartment and mobil home park communities. Planners in the city of San Benito in deep South Texas have estimated that requiring individual sub-metering of water to these groups will increase water delivery revenues from slightly over $24,000 a year to $243,000, over a ten-fold increase. The sub-metering is also expected to reduce water usage, as residents feel the impact of actually paying for the quantity of water used. Planners estimate that people reduce their water usage from 16% to 35% with a meter. The city justifies this approach by claiming parity can only be reached when these communities pay an equivalent fee to single-family homes that pay about $20 a month. Currently apartments and mobil home parks pay a single fee between $20 and $30 a month – depending on the size of the master water meter – which covers all their residences.

Legislation Allowing Water and Energy Sub-Metering: In spring of 2009 even the IRS amended its utlility allowance final regulations to allow sub-metering in low-income housing buildings. The reason this matters is that the utilities a tenant pays had been calculated into the monthly rent for subsidized housing and then the amount was subtracted. The property manager can pick one of three computation choices:

(1) An Agency Estimate which is an estimate from a state housing agency for each unit in the building

(2) Calculations for the utility allowances based on the HUD Utlility Schedule Model (USM) which is based on the Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) performed by the Department of Energy. The HUD USM considers the elements and systems in the structure but also uses building location and climate in the calculations.

(3) The Energy Consumption Model lets building owners hire qualified professionals who calculate the utility allowances based on an acceptable energy consumption model.

The new allowance rules are intended to  provide stability for the landlord’s rent computation, which can benefit the tenants. If the tenants - who pay the utility directly in this case - elect to conserve and save money, they receive the benefit below average consumption. Of course, if the reverse is true, they will have to pay the extra. It is hoped that it will spur conservation and lower usage by residents.

Landscape Restrictions: Texas recently passed legislation that forbids installing certain types of turf grass that are known to require extensive watering. The legislation affects all Texans but it is intended to protect the water supply generated by the Rio Grande. With desert conditions and low annual precipitation, the American Waterworks Association has estimated residential outdoor water use in this area at 50% of the total. (30% is the national average.) The legislation also requires that municipal governments develop two new plans, one for water conservation and the other for drought.

Bicycle Parking: With a slim vote, the Huntsville, Alabama city council passed an ordinance that will require new apartment buildings, condos and multifamily buildings to have one bike parking space for every five residences.  In addition, any new business with 20 or more parking spaces will need to install a bike rack at the entrance to its establishment.  New large retailers and big boxers with huge parking lots will have to accommodate as many as thirty bikes. Although existing businesses are grandfathered, parking lot expansions will trigger the new bicycle parking requirement. (Many apartment buildings are adding bicycle racks and secure storage and even promoting bicycle clubs to gain new residents.)

Right to Dry Laws: Homeowners Associations across America control behavior in about 300,000 communities and presently a large percentage prohibit clotheslines. Many apartment buildings also prohibit drying clothes, blankets, towels and other items outdoors as well, but these regulations are being challenged legally. Five states recently passed right-to-dry laws and organizations like Alex Lee’s Project Laundry List are diligently working to add more. Nostalgia aside, clothes dryers use large amounts of energy and outdoor drying is free. If your laundry facilities are not a money-maker – or you are feeling incredibly green – create a screened or vine covered enclave that hides the clothesline, preserves your curb appeal and delights your green renters.

Mandated Energy Testing & Installer Certification: California law now requires all solar photovoltaic systems installers and contractors to analyze the home’s energy efficiency before any work is commenced. Implementing the needed energy efficiency improvements remains optional, but the hope is that educated owners will decide to include some of these efficiency measures along with their PV installation. Along this ‘voluntary vein’, many states are also requiring that PV system installers have earned the proper, state-approved credential in order for the customer/owner to receive any renewable or clean energy grants, tax credits or incentives.

Peak Day Energy Pricing: Utilities are sharing information with customers so that they can try to avoid ”Peak Day Pricing” through energy use reduction on high usage days. Higher pricing is generally in play in most utilities during the day and when temperatures are above 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Night time usage is generally at reduced rates because of low demand.

Building Energy Benchmarking: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently tried to mandate multifamily owners provide detailed information about their operations with regard to stormwater and other related issues. Although the survey was deemed to be an inappropriately invasive questionnaire and the industry successfully pushed back to stop it from moving forward, the information gathered would have been useful. The EPA wanted to determine the details of heat island effects and energy, water and sewer services usage so that it could identify how to better manage stormwater. The information requested was a formal way of trying to gain information that would have helped the EPA determine to what extent the multifamily industry could afford to make needed improvements and modifications. Although this mandate was unsuccessful, certainly the EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) will be back for similar efforts along with congress and state and local departments of ecology.  California’s Assembly Bill 1103 (AB 1103) will require non-residential business owners to input their energy consumption/building data into the EPA’s Portfolio Manager and generate an energy efficiency rating and provide it to prospective buyers and lessees for the previous year. The California Energy Commission (CEC) is in the process of deciding when this will take affect, with speculation that January of 2011 is the likely disclosure date. Commercial residential and larger low-rise multifamily will undoubtedly be targeted after the CEC is finished with regulating the commercial sector. Many cities, including New York City and Washington DC, have similar regulations.

Green Cleaning and Maintenance: States have begun passing green cleaning initiatives that now require school maintenance and custodial personnel to use only GreenSeal equivalent products. We know children are more adversely affected than adults by the toxic chemicals in cleaning products, but as Americans spend 90% of their lives indoors everyone should be concerned about reducing exposure. Even if products are not banned outright, it is probable that apartment managers will soon be required by municipal, state or federal regulations to reduce or eliminate the potential for toxic chemical exposures to their residents.

Other Articles of Interest:

Are Smoking Bans Legal in Apartments?

Does Your Association Have a Sustainability Committee?

Utility Cost Take-Out: A Model for Sustainability

Researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia are trying to answer that question by asking homeowners to allow them to publicly display their energy usage over several months. The researchers will then compare the data and answer the big question. (We will update you when we learn the results.) Can our peers pressure us into more sustainable behaviors? Let’s hope so.

Until recently the abundance of resources available in the United States made conspicuous consumption a ruling behavior. Thrift of any kind was often miscontrued as  ‘cheapness’ and as a value, it faded into the background as the province of  Scrooge & Company. The realities of climate change, however, are not only hurting our collective future, but they are weighing quite heavily on American children.

Unlike children from previous generations who were more afraid of their fathers and nuclear war, this generation is afraid to grow up into a world that may implode. They don’t understand the political partisanship, posturing and money that fuels excessive consumption. All they know is that the future is very scary. No matter how little you think children understand these complex issues, they cannot be duped. They are the ones asking parents to buy organic apples, quit smoking, fix the sprinklers, recycle and turn off the lights. Or at least, that is the hope, but it is the generation currently in power we need to reach and then we need to act. Estimates vary, but some scientists believe we have as little as ten years to turn things around, which means it should feel scary to adults as well.

Shame has never been my favorite motivational tool, but our sense of individual responsibility may need to be refocused.  Taking a serious assessment of our personal impact on the environment is also the first step.  If we measure our behaviors against others and evaluate the impact our life and work habits have on the environment, we might learn to recogize excessive and unnecessary consumption.  Human nature is not that baffling after all. No matter how chubby we are, most of us truly believe we don’t eat that much. The same is true of our energy dependency and consumption habits. Our hand just keeps turning up that thermostat the same way our ganglia (our lizard brain) leads us back to the kitchen after dinner. Identifying the difference between our energy needs and our energy wants is critical to altering our behavior and developing a more responsible approach to energy and water use.

These Tools can help measure personal energy use and perhaps suggest areas to improve personal practices in relatively painless ways. We are amazingly adaptable creatures but it may take a little effort to incorporate just a few practices into our lifestyles until they become habitual. Green renters can also broach this subject with their property manager. Even  a green manager may be reluctant to rock the boat with a valued tenant, so take the initiative. Ask for things like aerators, low-flow shower heads and stress you are open to a dual-flush retrofit on your toilets. Don’t be shy about suggesting occupant-sensors in the hallways and shared-car parking areas either, or indicating how much you would relish bicycle storage and green cleaning practices. These are things the manager may be contemplating anyway. With strong tenant input and support, he may be able to convince the owner of their added value.   

Green renters have some restrictions on what they can accomplish within their building envelope, but personal energy and water practices can be upgraded with a change in attitude. Green cleaning practices, shorter showers, recycling, turning off power strips and other thoughtful practices are all things under an individual’s control. Take your personal power back… and use less of the other kind.

Other Articles of Interest:

Water Etiquette in the Kitchen

WaterSense is Common Sense

Global Manners & Children’s Mental Health

Bicyclist Damage: No one can effectively police the bicyclist’s practice of chaining a bike to a tree for security - if there isn’t a secure bike rack available. If you don’t want to install a rack, protect delicate tree bark from bicycle chains by installing plastic tubing around the trunk. The chains will wear against the plastic, but the bark won’t be harmed. Pests and diseases generally start where bark has been disturbed.

Plant Flowers: Trees do better when they retain moisture around their trunks. This can be easily accomplished by planting flowers around them. They shade the trunks and prevent evaporation. They also reduce bark injuries sustained from edge trimmers and lawnmowers and keep the soil from becoming overly compacted. Thirdly, they discourage walkers from ‘taking a shortcut’ through the landscaping.

Ban Street Signs & Flyers: If your property is located in a neighborhood where it is the prevailing practice to nail flyers and other notices to trees, surrender by adding a free bulletin board for posters to offer community information. 

Monitor Neighboring Trees: With so many tree pests and diseases it is always a good idea to get ahead of an epidemic. In the past urban planners would plant one species of tree for the effect.  If the trees were invaded by insects or some sort of disease, entire neighborhoods could be devasted. Planting variety in indigenous and adaptive species helps. It is also important to notify your city manager if you see a beginning infestation or the trees look unhealthy or unduly stressed. Most cities’ tree maintenance budgets have been slashed, so make sure you are persistent until you get results.

Tree Deaths: According to one U.S. Forest Service study, causes of forest tree death were categorized as growth-dependent reasons (45%), fungi (23%) and wind damage (16%). Obviously an urban tree has even more issues, as it must compete with sewer and water lines, underground wiring and cables and street repairs that disturb roots.  City soil can be depleted or sub-par and the negative effects of pollution can stress trees too. 

Proper Tree Management: The services of arborists and experienced landscapers are critical for maintaining tree health. Obviously managing wind damage involves proper pruning; fungi may not always be controllable without professional help and there are diseases and pests that enter the picture. However, as trees have insurable and measurable value, a regular maintenance plan is imperative. If you ever question how important your landscaping is to residents, ask them. You’ll be amazed at how attached they can be to a favorite tree or outdoor spot.

Safety in Numbers: Even with the many limitations in urban areas, city governments and most communities are in favor of expanding the tree canopy. Depending on the area and the study, planners can expect to lose 16 to 25 percent of trees over a few decades in urban areas without management. As trees also help reduce stormwater runoff and reduce temperatures caused by impermeable surfaces and dark roofs, their status should be pretty high. The deciduous trees that provide shade in summer allow for the benefits of solar gain in winter. The group AmericanForests.org suggests that we strive to meet an average tree canopy cover in the United States of 40%. For our different regions they offer defined ratios based on climate conditions, but historically these are a small percentage compared to the canopy this country used to have:

For metropolitan areas east of the Mississippi and in the Pacific Northwest:

For metropolitan areas in the Southwest and dry West:

Aiding the Tree Canopy: As trees are a critical element of pollution control, cities able to invest and increase their tree canopy decrease the resources needed to treat water, stormwater runoff and pollution and they save energy and water. For those interested in a very comprehensive analysis of an area, CITYGreen software allows you to calculate the dollar benefits of tree amenities. Talk to your city planners and see if you can get them on board for more trees. Mature landscaping not only is appealing on an environmental level, it is proven to increase property values. Making that investment now will pay off for years to come. Certainly anything we can do to improve real estate asset values is a positive step forward.

Our Tree Deficit: The USDA Forest Service estimates the United States currently has a deficit of 634,407,719 trees for the optimum environmental benefit to our health, so every tree really does matter. Please keep yours healthy and think about planting a few more.

Other articles of interest:

When and Why to Call an Arborist

Breathe Easier: 12 Houseplants to Purify Indoor Air

Create a Drought Tolerant Landscape Plan

Some History  

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the fly-in-the-ointment was the average American consumer’s inability to afford these goods.  Although installment credit had been initiated around 1870, it underwent several refinements over the next few decades. The depression changed the tone temporarily as leveraged assets lost value and people re-focused on necessities of life. Families remained fairly cautious until the mid-19th century when post WWII veterans started buying homes and raising baby boomers. The installment payment allowed this generation to recapture lost time, dump their Victory veggie patch and jumpstart new lives… all on credit.  

The manufacturers’ equipment – previously dedicated to war-related goods - now produced at even higher capacity. People could buy without taking four or five years to save for that big-ticket item, so of course we loved it. It wasn’t a free lunch, but as we scrambled to see who could acquire goods the most ostentatiously, we delayed paying the tab. Our federal deficit rose as our tax bill shrank and our banks swelled with glee.  

The ‘deferred’ cost of services and installment payments kept re-inventing themselves and took on an even more daring life in the 1970’s and 1980’s when our economy began to experience rampant inflation. This appealed to some government budget people.  After all, if we borrowed money that was worth X and we paid it back at Y + Z, or inflated money plus interest still worth less than we originally borrowed, we could balance our budget eventually.  But government wasn’t the only big borrower. 

Birth of Credit Cards 

A wallet full of credit cards became not only a requirement of American life but a status symbol. 18% didn’t seem like too big a price to pay while inflation was skyrocketing. The perception – and sometimes reality – was that if you waited and saved the money, the buying opportunity would had passed. A home that cost $70,000 in the late 70’s might be $100,000 a few years later. Several cycles of heavy inflation continued to reinforce this thinking for the majority of Americans living today.   

Our private financial institutions, insurance companies, congress, wall street and we-the-people ignored the lessons that should have been learned from the Savings & Loan collapse of the 1980’s. Deregulation ignited a marketing fire and ‘trusted’ institutions began offering the types of high-risk  loans and mortgages previously offered only to the wealthy. The majority of us did not have the capacity or the experience or the income to properly manage these loans. In other words, these were not loan products that should ever have been available to a financially naive, general public with limited reserves. (Some mortgage loans actually provided up to 114% of a home’s purchase price.)  

Wages Stagnated 

As salaries did not keep pace with inflation, the concept of installments morphed into that of “leverage”. We used it to satisfy a sense of entitlement whatever our economic station and believed that the secret of life was really100% financing. As wages stagnated, prices continued to rise for food, energy, medical services and other necessities of life. By then we were institutionalized credit-line users but back to our mid-20th century’s posture. We couldn’t afford to buy anything because our monthly payments maxed us out… unless we owned a home. The fantasy – held by borrowers and bankers alike - was that the home would keep going up in value. Real estate and a wildly irresponsible Wall Street propped up the economy, as did those 401k retirement investments, as they allowed us to borrow up to half of their value. About 67% of us were making it with credit cards, refinancing, 401k loans and car loans and then our kids began to go to college and our medical premiums skyrocketed and our employers began to squeeze more health care premium contributions out of us and we were getting older and … the housing bubble had the gall to break and embarrass Alan Greenspan and quite a few other freemarketers.  

Although economists, corporate America and government analysts shudder at labeling this recession ”deflationary”, that is exactly what this is. Most of us are happy merely not losing something and thrilled if we receive even a minimal return on investment. The banks continue to take advantage – their cost of money ranges from zero to one percent - by lending to us at interest rates that range from 4.5% for mortgages up to 30% unsecured. Within this financial climate, as a boomer I am going to suggest something pretty darn radical.  

Taking Action 

Let’s tighten our belts, put down the credit cards, use our own money and reap the rewards of good, solid investment in ourselves – without the unreliable and expensive middle man’s restrictions or judgments.  

If we take action to move our personal and collective economies forward through sustainable property improvement, everybody wins. Let’s start with the big ticket items first. On-site alternative energy production reduces our dependence on the standard grid and its dependence on fossil fuels and our seemingly insatiable need to secure control over these resources through military occupation.  Jobs are created here, improved real estate will gain value and as energy producers, multifamily particularly will become more profitable. Using our equity and private funds to invest in our own properties produces measurable dividends immediately whether it is a private home or an apartment community. If we can afford to have our principal tied up temporarily – just pretend it’s in an extended CD earning 10 percent instead of 1 percent - it’s possible to generate higher earnings via lower building utility costs. Candidly, with the low rates of return for funds on deposit, even a minor improvement in operations costs is a win-win.  

Becoming an energy producer on-site is both possible and practical with today’s alternatives in clean technologies and the support of government incentives and grants. As utilities are an area multifamily can only control by becoming producers, over time energy savings will return principal, replenish depleted reserves and create a profit center. Once our own money starts working for us, we can fund other sustainable improvements that further improve operations and increase our assets’ values. In fact, joining with other multifamily owners (or neighboring homeowners) and negotiating with the systems manufacturers and installers can also give us the discount pricing that makes the self-financed investment concept even more attractive. Add in some of the grants and incentives still available, and it starts sounding more like the kind of money maker we used to take for granted.  

On-site Multifamily Energy Producers  

UTC Power's Fuel Cell for High Rise Residential

If it sounds futuristic, let me assure you there are multifamily buildings successfully producing energy on-site today. For example, 360 State Street, a mixed use development in New Haven, Connecticut, installed the first 400kW fuel cell in a residential high-rise development. These fuel cells are so reliable that hosptials and schools have been using them for years. 360 State will break even on the investment in 5.5 years. The cell produces all the energy the families in its 500 residential apartments need and more. Not only is this kind of innovation appreciated by green renters, but the status gained within their community has been priceless. The energy produced in a non-combustion process by UTC Power’s amazing fuel cell is virtually pollution free and can be installed anywhere there is access to a regular pressure natural gas line.   

If you want to get your feet wet on an existing building, consider a photovoltaic panel array.  Solar energy production is practical anywhere in the United States – the panels are actually more efficient in colder climes – and very little energy is lost when it is used on site. A near perfect example of how to incorporate a PV array into a residential building is the recently installed system on a complex owned by Princeton Properties, a multifamily management company headquartered in Lowell, Massachusetts. Through a combination of grants, tax incentives and utility savings in 2009, the company paid for the first system’s cost and installation in under a year. Now the complex receives ‘free energy’ in all its common areas and the surplus produced is used to power their corporate offices. Princeton’s second and third solar panel projects were financed in 2010 with fewer grants and greater use of the company’s own funds, but the return on investment after incentives is still only about three and a half years. On a power-generation system with a minimum 30 year – and perhaps even 50 year-  life, that’s quite an accomplishment, even if one calculates utility savings at today’s energy prices!  

Taking a Calculated Risk  

What has complicated the ‘action’ part of sustainability projects for most property managers is the concern about retaining sufficient working capital. Obviously funds should not be taken out of line items that need secure cash flow, but if there is a money pot that’s been sitting, why not use it? Funds invested in energy and water efficiency are returned over an easily-projected pay-back period. These can be incorporated in a self-financing strategy of small investments first which produce savings that finance larger ones.  Benchmarking your property with the DOE’s Portfolio Manager can help you start on the path to making low-cost improvements that generate a guaranteed return on investment.  System vendors will give you some very accurate projections, but if you are approaching this with a jaundiced eye, contact these experts for a second opinion:  

• Local utility companies
• Non-profits focused on sustainability
• Municipal building departments
• Energy auditors
• Certified residential building advisors 
• An architect or good systems engineer

Do the math then pull that money out from under the mattress! The cost of these improvements will start returning to you so quickly, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.  

Other Articles of Interest:  

Living the Platinum Dream: 360 State Street  

UTC’s Fuel Cell Miracle Breakthrough  

Portland’s Green Building Rock Star Tech

A large number of Americans will be over 65 in a few years and although a big percentage own homes, the current market has caused many to rent rather than sell them. This has created a market for housing alternatives that do not require large investments. A good option is often a move to an apartment community.  

Aging Boomers may recognize emerging limitations and lesser physical ability, but they expect to remain independent. Owners who properly equip apartments to serve this group will improve occupancy rates and retention. 

Marketing experts suggest avoiding branding a rental with anything that might suggest it is a ’retirement home’ or ’suitable for senior living’. It is better to stick to decribing features in a way that is youthful and exudes vitality. For instance, stating a home has an elegant, extra-wide entryway with flat, sloped access to accommodate bicycles and large strollers implies wheelchair access. The key is to create the appeal of an ADA-compliant home with all the bells and whistles without making it look like a nursing home. In other words, no ugly, temporary ramps that require wheelchair access through an alleyway or other substandard entrance. An architect or interior designer can offer some stunning options.

According to Florida builder, Keith Collins of New Millennial Homes, seniors need a few simple changes in design to make homes safer. He also maintains the changes provide better maneuverability at any age. In fact, Collins designs his homes based on a concept known in the architectural world as ”Universal Design” (UD).

Universal Design means exactly what it says. The living space is built to accommodate a ‘universal’ tenant, or in theory everybody that might have a special need. This could mean a family with an elderly parent, another family with children, an elderly person wishing to maintain independence or someone with physical limitations. From an investment standpoint a home that a person could live in from birth to death is practical even within a transient society.

Another big advantage of universal design is that as it works for everyone, potential buyers can be everyone as well.  As most of the Universal design changes require little more than a few minor variations in new construction – the building still has doors, windows, walkways, etc. – the cost can range from minimal to zero. Of course, retrofiting can be expensive, but when a remodel is planned anyway, why not incorporate Universal Design concepts?

Here are some of the kinds of design modifications that apartment owners and other independent real estate operators might consider to maximize renter appeal and market share:

• Doors flush with the ground without steps on at least one front entrance.
• Doors a few inches wider that can accommodate a wheelchair, a stroller and even a hospital-width bed.
• To be wheelchair friendly, kitchens should have wide aisles and low countertops and appliances. 
• An opening under the sink should allow a  person to wheel in or sit while doing dishes. This can be done with a cabinet door that is removable for the sink and the stove.
• Seconding as long towel racks, grab bars should be installed along the kitchen workspaces. These are similar to handrails on staircases and can help people with an unsteady gait – vertigo, dizziness from medicines or illnesses or frail health or age – maneuver safely by themselves without a walker.
• Faucets installed over ranges eliminate the need for lifting heavy pots of water and carrying them back and forth to the stove. People with arthritis, carpal tunnel and other arm and hand-strength issues can benefit with this design feature. Younger people and supervised children can also cook more safely.
• Kitchen shelves should pull out just as kitchen drawers do to allow easier access to pantry items and dishes.
• To make adjusting controls easier, equipment like a water heater can be raised off the ground. 
• Bathroom sinks, like kitchen sinks, should be designed so a wheelchair can roll up. 
• All areas where a person might be standing should also have a grab bar/towel bar including the tub and shower at different heights.
• Door knobs and shower knobs should all be a lever design to eliminate manual dexterity challenges with one caveat. Knobs need a feature to lock them. Smart dogs and small children will otherwise be able to manipulate them.
• Shower stalls should be angled away from the door to prevent water seepage onto the floor, but need a smooth, flat entrance.
• The shower door should open widely in one direction (generally right to left) with the grab bar on the righthand side. (South paws prefer the opposite.)
• Studs are 2 x 8’s so that a grab bar can be installed at any time without tearing out a wall.
• Everything in the home – including interior finishes – should be geared to easy care and maintenance.
• Universal design is meant to blend the occupant with the rest of the community regardless of age, infirmity or physical abilities.

Japan has led the world in the number of  people over 100 years old  (40,000 is their official figure), but with the advances in modern medicine and nutrition, the United States is catching up with an increasingly elderly population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau:

“The elderly population increased elevenfold between 1900 and 1994; the non-elderly increased only threefold. In this century, the rate of growth of the elderly population (persons 65 years old and over) has greatly exceeded the growth rate of the population of the country as a whole. The elderly increased by a factor of 11, from 3 million in 1900 to 33 million in 1994. In comparison, the total population, as well as the population under 65 years old, tripled.

Under the Census Bureau’s middle series projections, the number of persons 65 years old and over would more than double by the middle of the next century to 80 million. About 1 in 8 Americans were elderly in 1994, but about 1 in 5 would be elderly by the year 2030.”

For an overview of Universal Design, Wendy A. Jordan has written a great book, Universal Design for the Home, and outlines the design elements and why they matter. For instance, for a person whose sight is impaired, a black fireplace and raised hearth are easy to see when contrasted against light wood floors. Be forewarned, however, that the book includes some great photographs which may encourage you to remodel immediately. Another great resource for the more technical among you is Drue Lawlor and Michael A. Thomas’s book, Residential Design for Aging in Place. In their book they go into very specific detail, which makes the $60 price tag seem like a bargain.   

The state of Florida currently has the highest proportion of elderly residents at 19 percent, but the other states with a 14 percent to 16 percent elderly population are in descending order: Pennsylvania, Iowa, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, Connecticut, Kansas, and Massachusetts. If these trends continue, property managers in these states might be wise to plan for housing aging boomers and perhaps their parents as well!

Given the population trajectories, incorporating Universal Design into remodels and any new construction is just good business planning for the future. However, leaders in this area may be doing more than creating successful apartment communities, as independent living has been shown to enhance one’s quality and length of life. In fact, according to the MacArthur Foundation Consortium on Successful Aging, “Up-beat homes that emphasize our abilities, not disabilities, are not only more fun but tantamount to successful aging.”  

As responsible property managers and owners who care about our residents, a big part of creating a more sustainable apartment community is identifying and meeting the needs of every resident - and that includes our old people.

Housing and travel costs are estimates and renters or property managers should input the appropriate data in order to calculate actual costs.  Obviously commuting by car on a daily basis is more expensive (when one considers the total cost of car ownership including payments, insurance, maintenance and gas) than hopping on the bus or riding a bike.

Remember there is no substitute for experience, so walk around the neighborhood and peak into the shops, restaurants and other services you’re likely to use.  Being able to shop locally AND shopping locally are integral aspects of sustainable living. According to the Andersonville Study of Retail Economics by Civic Economics, for every $100 spent at a national chain only $43 goes back into the local economy; whereas locally owned and operated stores return about $68 to the community.  Local shops tend to do business locally with most, if not all job creation occurring within the community or its surrounding environs.  A national chain’s priority will be efficiency, which means certain jobs such as accounting or marketing will be centralized at a national headquarters.  Green property managers can assist renters and themselves by forming partnerships with area businesses to offer services at a discount to area residents.

Finally, when choosing where to move, consider the externalized or hidden costs of your transportation choices which include, among other things, air and water pollution.  In a fascinating article on the transportation energy intensity of buildings, Alex Wilson and Rachel Navaro examine the cost of transportation choices in terms of Btus.  Since much of our energy consumption comes in the form of burning fossil fuels that release carbon into our atmosphere, using less energy will mean less carbon released into the atmosphere.  This factor, energy intensity of transportation choices, is probably the single most important factor to consider when deciding where to live and work.  Although Wilson and Navaro focused on the energy consumption of office buildings, it seems clear that driving to work, alone in a car can ‘exceed the energy savings’ of the greenest homes or apartments.

Basically it boils down to buying local and taking public transportation whenever a commute is involved.  Imagine the land that would be available for parks and recreation if more people used public transportation.  Parking lots that currently contribute to storm water problems and increased temperatures in cities through the heat island effects, could be transformed.

Other Articles of Interest:

How to Search for A Green Rental

EPA Parking Reduction 101

Parking as Income

Public Transport or Bust

A small problem like a broken lower branch might be manageable, but the smart owner understands the challenges presented by weather, storm damage, pests, disease and even age. In fact, tree health is as complex and unique as it is for any living species. Trees that are fed and managed properly will have a better chance of withstanding all kinds of threats. A good example is the pruning that can be done to allow winter and even hurricane winds  to pass through branches. In other words, tree healthcare and maintenance is no place for unsupervised amateurs.

Experts and government officials generally discourage people from responding to the ‘door-knockers’ who offer ‘discount’ tree services. These services may be legitimate, but the best certified arborists are always busy and you will need to call ahead and make an appointment.

Experienced arborists understand plant health care and the best facilities managers in commercial buildings and government offices use their broad range of services to protect these valuable assets. Arborists’ services can be invaluable when construction is going on in an adjoining area or muncipal or telephone crews are digging up sidewalks. Arborists’ work includes root protection, pruning, fertilizing, pest elimination, lightening protection, cable-brace installation and snow and ice barriers.

If you are wondering what distinguishes a gardener from an arborist, here is the International Society of Arboriculture’s (ISA) definition:

A professional arborist is trained in the art and science of planting, caring for, and maintaining individual trees.

Certified arborists are also required to earn continuing education credits throughout their careers to maintain their credentials. This provides an avenue to keep their training on the cutting edge as new science emerges.

Although many states issue business licenses for tree servicing,  a ‘licensed’ arborist is not necessarily a highly-trained or ’certified’ one. For the best recommendations check with an arboretum or a local chapter of the professional arborist organizations like ISA, the American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCI) and the Tree Care Industry Association (formerly the National Arborist Association). All good arborists should also have references you can check.

As a property owner can be liable if a worker he hires is injured or injures another person or adjoining property, it is always a good idea to ask for verification of the arborist’s insurance coverage. The easiest way to do this is to ask for certificates of insurance. These should include proof of liability for personal and property damage and workers compensation. Call the insurance company, verify the policy is current and get something in writing that shows the policy will be effective when your arborist is performing the work.

A committed aborist will:

1) Remove a tree only as a last resort.

2) Not top a tree without a legal, health or safety reason for doing so.

3) Never use climbing spikes as they damage a tree.

We would also suggest the written contract with your arborist specifies things like:

• When the work will start
• Who is responsible for clean up and waste disposal
• Who will actually be performing the work – helpers or the arborist
• How the work will be supervised
• What kind of equipment will be used
• When the work will be finished.

It is also important to clarify that the arborist retains responsibility for any and all injuries to himself, his employees and his equipment.

We tend to take trees for granted as part of the environment, but trees are insurable assets. If one is lost because of an insurable hazard most insurance policies cover the cost of removing the dead tree and also replacing it. 

Other than their beauty and financial value, however, trees significantly contribute to our quality of life.  They provide habitat, shade and windbreak protection, control stormwater runoff, prevent top soil loss and erosion and remove toxins from the air, soil and  groundwater.

Other articles of interest:

Landscaping to Reduce Energy Costs

Creating a Drought Tolerant Landscape Plan

How to Perform a Water Audit

Whether we are conscious of it or not, much of our consumptive behavior is affected by choice architecture, or how choices are presented to us.  As examples, marketers make cereal packaging bright, certain brands are placed at eye level and candy is placed near the checkout stand. In a study published in Science, Hunt Allcott and Sendhil Mullainathan assert that energy efficiency is not only a matter of technology but of behavior as well. They believe efforts to affect behavior through price changes and information disclosure can be cost-effectively supplemented with behavioral interventions.

Two ideas that have worked quite well – at a reasonable cost while generating tremendous savings – have been utility bill nudges that inform consumers of their utility consumption vis-a-vis their neighbors’.  Recently the city of Antwerp uploaded a government sponsored thermographic view of the city that revealed the energy efficiency of every building, ranging from an energy efficient blue to an energy hog red.  Residents were able to go online and compare their home’s energy efficiency to that of their neighbors.  The imaging was part of a larger effort to encourage homeowners and businesses to “investigate energy efficiency”.  The agency exceeded its goal of insulating 1000 homes during the first year by 20%.  Typical of people’s responses was: ‘We want [our house] to be as blue as the neighbors’.

According to Marc Gunther, studies show 90% of Americans think something should be done about global warming but only 10-12% have acted on that belief.  How can we overcome the wide disparity between belief and action?  Part of the issue with motivating people to act is the overwhelming nature of climate change.  So where should we begin?

A useful guide produced by The Climate Leadership Initiative suggests discussion begin by talking about climate change as the ‘climate crisis’ or ‘climate failure’ rather than as ’global warming’.  Apparently the term ‘global warming’ doesn’t spur people to action, so we need to use words that pack a greater emotional charge.

Next, we can focus on the effects of too much carbon in the atmosphere caused by burning fossil fuels and emphasize the need for carbon-free energy sources.  Of course there are other gases that contribute to the climate crisis, but carbon is the big one.  Remind others that the problem will only get worse and be more expensive to fix if we wait, and present an understandable analogy like ignoring termites until they are munching on a home foundation.

Point out that shifting from a carbon-dependent to a carbon-free economy will create millions of jobs, enhance our national security, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, improve our quality of life and it might tap into the American spirit of innovation and leadership.

If you are thinking about starting a sustainability program of any kind – whether it is based in your office, home, apartment building or company - remember even though 90% of our fellow Americans may think something should be done, we each will have our own thoughts about how best to begin.  Anyone who is interested should be allowed or invited to take part with the understanding that every person’s ideas will be respected, if not immediately acted upon.  I cannot emphasize strongly enough how important it is to wear a smile and have a sense of humor.  Think of yourself as a cheerleader for the effort and keep cheering even when you’re in the defensive zone!

Generally speaking, people tend to be overloaded with information and with their own ‘to do’ lists.  Within your organization or household, pick one or two things to focus on.  When you have those under control try a couple more.  Reward and reinforce desirable behaviors, but be patient. It can take six months to a year for changes to become permanent.

Other Articles of Interest:

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness

NAA 2010 Green: Lower the Flow

NAA 2010 Green: Efficiency Is A Fuduciary Duty