What ideas do you want the participants to take away?
Green Building practices promote construction of buildings that are healthier for the occupants and for the environment. We’d like participants to leave our presentation with knowledge of how safer building practices can not only lead to safer,stronger buildings but also help mitigate indoor and surrounding environmental quality problems such as mold and air pollution. Indoor air pollution such as mold and dust can be controlled using innovative design principles which will eliminate types of indoor air toxins which contribute to asthma.Several metropolitan areas such as New York City are currently planning to develop thousands of new affordable housing units in areas where poor housing quality and other environmental burdens are prevalent. We will present specific methods which can be taken to ensure these new developments are safe and sustainable and contribute to mitigating already exisitng impacts.
Green building is also a program that can also used as a vehicle for employment. The construction industry and interested members of targteted neighborhoods for development can create an employment niche in their communities because there isn’t any current certification for green building other than LEED. Worskshop participants can leave our presentation with ways to create opportunities for jobs that will help improve the workforce as well as createing a means to involve community residents in the development of housing that is affordable. We will teach them how to collaborate with organizations working to provide resources for impoversihed families on creating programs that provide a link to ensure development is community based and sustainable.
How does your event connect to the USSF Crosscutting Themes?
Sustainable building practices can reduce the impact that building design, construction and maintenance has on both people and nature.Green building is an idea focused on educating developers on how to incoporate environmental friendly practices into constrcution activities. Several themes associated with the US Social Forum such as education and the environment are both key issues in green building because it is an idea that focuses on raising awareness of pratcies that can be taken to eliminate current problems arising from harmful construction procedures. Using alternatives that are more environmental friendly not only will result in the creation of a healthy and affordable living environment but also a stronger building structure that will last.
How will the participants be engaged? We intend to present information on safe green building techniques to attendees and will include open discussion segment for to speak about how to implement these procedures in low income affordable hosuing development. We hope to discuss current development efforts in cities identified by those who participate and how methods presented could be used to to ensure safe and healthy home environments are developed in their neighborhoods.

What language will your activity be conducted in? English

Will you provide oral interpretation? Will you provide equipment (headset and transmitter) for interpretation? No

Will you provide handouts for attendees? In Spanish? In English? In another language (if so, state the language)? We will provide handouts in english for workshop attendees.

What is the biggest challenge/adversary your movement/organization faces? Poor housing conditions in public housing developments can create health risks and potential for exposure due to mold growth and pests such as rats and cockroaches. Communities of color and low income are disproportionately impacted by these cases in addition to dealing with poor air quality and a multitude of other sources for pollution. However, developers are targeting these areas for new buildings because it is cheaper to build in these neighborhoods which can not only create new problems but also exaccerbate already exisiting problems if faulty construction practices are used. Some additional challenges to creating safe and sustainable affordable housing include:

· Funding for green buildings
· Costs of undertaking “green” practices in relation to normal building costs
· Changing established construction practices to ensure health and safety

What concrete alternative(s) do you propose? Using safe green building techniques can ensure that new affordable housing is created in a way that prevent the potential for health risks and exposures and aid remedying already exisiting problems. Creating sustainable low income housing ensures that .

What strategies do you propose to achieve these alternatives?
· Working with the local workforce development organizations to create green technology curriculum for contractors.
· Greenroofing
· Mold resistive construction
· Improving energy efficiency to reduce energy bills.