"Housing is not affordable if just the mortgage is affordable," said Madeline Rogero, director of the city's Community Development Division. "You have to look at the utility bills."
Good for the Knox Housing Partnership. This should be the standard for all publicly funded affordable housing development.
Submitted by Jane (not verified) on Wed, 2008/03/26 - 11:56am.
Why do you figure that Haslam is going in this direction what with this and the energy task force. I work for the architecture firm that is doing the new Transit Center he specified that it has to be silver Leed Certified. Hiring Madeline Rogero was a great thing.
Submitted by michael kaplan on Wed, 2008/03/26 - 2:01pm.
"This should be the standard for all publicly funded affordable housing development."
This should be the standard for all publicly funded housing development, period. Since energy is a scarce (and becoming scarcer) resource, why should the public be subsidizing excessive energy consumption by anyone, rich or poor?
Submitted by Bill Lyons on Mon, 2008/03/31 - 4:25pm.
Speaking of all of this, the transit center is being designed to LEED Silver standards and will have a green roof component. Besides the houses cited in the article City Employees are volunteering to help Habitat construct one of seven houses in Lonsdale beginning this Saturday. And yes, the City Administration is not a potted plant in these actions, but a full policy-making partner with KPH. Both Mayor Haslam and Community Director Madeline Rogero have been instrumental in bring this policy to reality. It was one of Madeline's main goals when she was chosen to direct the Community Development Department (where she is doing a great job by any measure). The Green Building Council headed by architect Beth Eason, designed the houses to energy star standard.
The houses referenced in the article are part of a new LEED residential program and are among the first, if not the first, to be built in East Tennessee. Madeleine Weil and the energy and sustainability task force are working with TVA and KUB on a number of other initiatives in addition to the LED traffic light program and the major RFQ to reduce the City's energy footprint.
Thanks, and thanks to Bill Young for pointing out the advantages of an inclusive approach to non-partisan governing in a post-election period, especially when local elections are non-partisan. For those of you who don't know Beth Eason was Madeline Rogero's campaign manager in the mayoral election between Bill and Madeline.
Submitted by Carole Borges on Tue, 2008/04/01 - 8:21am.
These homes are also being built to consider their "visitability" factor. This is also a new building/design trend that makes sense, though it has been opposed somewhat by developers and contractors citing cost, but from what I understand these turn out to be fairly neglible.
Visibility infers that the design is user-friendly for people with disabilities and especially people in wheelchairs. It means wider doorways, low entrance thresholds, and bathrooms designed to accomodate wheelchairs. This might sound a bit silly at first, but there are many disabled or elderly people who cannot stay in their homes because they are in a wheelchiar and can't move from room to room or use their own bathroom. Because our population is aging and living longer, it figures this will be even more of a problem in the future.
The argument for "visitability" homes is that the cost up front is far smaller than the cost of adaptng homes later. It also allows family members and friends to visit all homes more easily.
If you have ever tried to negotiate Aunt Mabel's wheelchair up porch steps, you'll realize how beneficial it would be if one entrance has at least one minimal threshold.
Anything that helps the elderly live at home can save taxpayers an awful lot of money, as most affordable elderly housing is heavily subsidized. For Knoxville to take the lead on LEED housing and the promotion of visitability designs should make us proud.
This article explains it all and has some interesting cost specifics.
These two have shown that campaigns end when the votes are counted but good government is forever.
Bill & Madeline thank you for putting Knoxville first!!!
Why do you figure that Haslam is going in this direction what with this and the energy task force. I work for the architecture firm that is doing the new Transit Center he specified that it has to be silver Leed Certified. Hiring Madeline Rogero was a great thing.
"This should be the standard for all publicly funded affordable housing development."
This should be the standard for all publicly funded housing development, period. Since energy is a scarce (and becoming scarcer) resource, why should the public be subsidizing excessive energy consumption by anyone, rich or poor?
Speaking of all of this, the transit center is being designed to LEED Silver standards and will have a green roof component. Besides the houses cited in the article City Employees are volunteering to help Habitat construct one of seven houses in Lonsdale beginning this Saturday. And yes, the City Administration is not a potted plant in these actions, but a full policy-making partner with KPH. Both Mayor Haslam and Community Director Madeline Rogero have been instrumental in bring this policy to reality. It was one of Madeline's main goals when she was chosen to direct the Community Development Department (where she is doing a great job by any measure). The Green Building Council headed by architect Beth Eason, designed the houses to energy star standard.
The houses referenced in the article are part of a new LEED residential program and are among the first, if not the first, to be built in East Tennessee. Madeleine Weil and the energy and sustainability task force are working with TVA and KUB on a number of other initiatives in addition to the LED traffic light program and the major RFQ to reduce the City's energy footprint.
Thanks, and thanks to Bill Young for pointing out the advantages of an inclusive approach to non-partisan governing in a post-election period, especially when local elections are non-partisan. For those of you who don't know Beth Eason was Madeline Rogero's campaign manager in the mayoral election between Bill and Madeline.
These homes are also being built to consider their "visitability" factor. This is also a new building/design trend that makes sense, though it has been opposed somewhat by developers and contractors citing cost, but from what I understand these turn out to be fairly neglible.
Visibility infers that the design is user-friendly for people with disabilities and especially people in wheelchairs. It means wider doorways, low entrance thresholds, and bathrooms designed to accomodate wheelchairs. This might sound a bit silly at first, but there are many disabled or elderly people who cannot stay in their homes because they are in a wheelchiar and can't move from room to room or use their own bathroom. Because our population is aging and living longer, it figures this will be even more of a problem in the future.
The argument for "visitability" homes is that the cost up front is far smaller than the cost of adaptng homes later. It also allows family members and friends to visit all homes more easily.
If you have ever tried to negotiate Aunt Mabel's wheelchair up porch steps, you'll realize how beneficial it would be if one entrance has at least one minimal threshold.
Anything that helps the elderly live at home can save taxpayers an awful lot of money, as most affordable elderly housing is heavily subsidized. For Knoxville to take the lead on LEED housing and the promotion of visitability designs should make us proud.
This article explains it all and has some interesting cost specifics.
Link...
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