Sustainability Office Created by HUD

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has created an office of sustainable housing that will work on improving energy-efficient homes and financing for those homes. The new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities will also work with city, county and rural governments to locate housing near jobs, schools and transportation. To promote sustainability, OSHC will use a $50 million fund to invest in energy-efficient homes and buildings in order to “lay the groundwork for the clean energy economy,” HUD said. As part of that effort, the office wants to improve on HUD’s energy efficient mortgage products and other energy retro financing options. Shelly Poticha is the director of OSHC. “Through our new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, we will begin to tie the quality and location of housing to broader opportunities such as access to good jobs, quality schools and safe streets,” said HUD secretary Shaun Donovan.