Earl Blumenauer: “If we are serious about providing affordable housing for families, then we need to be serious about building that…”

“If we are serious about providing affordable housing for families, then we need to be serious about building that housing in a sustainable fashion. Energy costs are increasing much faster than family incomes. Green homes are often 30 percent more energy efficient; that can cut utility costs by hundreds of dollars a year from the outset and an amount that is going to compound over time. We need to do well by our environment but we also need to save families' hard-earned money. There is also strong evidence that green homes are also healthier homes. More than 4 million American children have asthma, and it is estimated that had more than 40 percent of diagnosed asthma is due to residential exposure. Green homes use building practices and materials that minimize moisture, that provide proper ventilation, that prevent infestation and avoid toxic materials. Many of the advantages of 'going green' are based on people just having the fundamental information.”