www.CenterforGreaterGood.com | contact@centergg.com | 410 East State Street Eagle, ID 83616

GREEN AND HEALTHY HOUSINGOpen Space

Written by Ravi Hanumara

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Open Space

Affordable housing projects supported by Center for the Greater Good undergo a rigorous due diligence review to determine that the they will achieve the goals and requirements for significant social impact. While the provision of social services is often treated as a check the box requirement or delivered as an underfunded set of interventions, Center for the Greater Good has established groundbreaking criteria and standards for environmental and social impact that create true impact in the lives of the residents.

Each community is evaluated from a physical and social perspective and is required to demonstrate the following minimum standards and criteria:

• Include a community facility meeting minimum space requirements and design features – 3,000 square feet per 100 units with a minimum size 2,500 square feet;

• Community facility should be constructed using high quality building materials that do not off-gas;

• The indoor facility should connect to outdoor community space in order to create an uninterrupted flow of community activities and to optimize the community physical and psychological benefits of direct access to natural sunlight and fresh air;

• The facility should be designed for maximum accessibility, beyond ADA standards, to foster a true sense of togetherness within the community – which includes members of all abilities and mobility levels;

• The facility should be designed to house a variety of activities, each with different needs, in the most space efficient way possible through the use of flexible design.

Center for Greater Good will use finances as leverage to ensure that facilities are constructed and maintained as per the criteria listed above. Sufficient space also enables the facilities to act as an ‘incubator’ for local non-profit service providers. Providers can share knowledge and resources while sharing the allocated community space, to help the residents even more.

Open space coupled with healthy surroundings not only improves both the physical and mental health of residents, but also creates a strong sense of community. Thus, open space is indispensable in creating a healthy and happy community.