Whether you are for or against it, would anyone be really surprised if President Obama tries to privatize social security, or impose regressive VAT taxation, down the road?
For now, President Obama wants to privatize public housing. That is one interpretation of his Preservation, Enhancement and Transformation of Rental Assistance Act (PETRA). PETRA proposes to convert public housing—on a voluntary basis, it is emphasized—to project-based Section 8. This may be a boon to private multifamily owners and developers. Bankers also stand to benefit under the Act. Think of the immense, publicly owned, housing stock that is at stake.
As they say, some things that President George W. Bush never dared try to do are being completed by his successor, President Obama. In light of the current Gulf oil spill, an example is the president’s earlier proposal to open parts of the U.S. coastline to offshore drilling for the first time ever, as a part of an energy conservation packet. Such is the Audacity, Change and boldness that we can believe in.
I was chatting on the phone with a publicist earlier this week. After he got done with his editorial pitch, the conversation turned to other topics. He and his wife are thinking about downsizing and also moving to a warmer climate… maybe Florida, where there are condo bargains waiting to be snatched up.
It was just one consumer talking, but his optimism was contagious.
This anecdotal evidence reinforces the May numbers released by the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® which now stand at 63.3, up from 57.7 in April. The Present Situation Index increased to 30.2 from 28.2. The Expectations Index improved to 85.3 from 77.4 last month.
According to Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center, consumer confidence posted its third consecutive monthly gain, and although still weak by historical levels, appears to be gaining some traction. “Consumers’ apprehension about current business conditions and the job market continues to slowly dissipate. Consumers’ expectations, on the other hand, have increased sharply over the past three months, propelling the Expectations Index to pre-recession levels (August 2007, 89.2).” Franco added, “The improvement has been fueled primarily by growing optimism about business and labor market conditions. Income expectations, however, remain downbeat.”
So it must have been the perception of a good deal—or getting a lot for their money—that created a stir in Hawaii where dozens of people reportedly camped out for as long as two days outside the sales office of the Pacifica Honolulu condominium project.
They wanted to be among the first to snatch up a good deal. The project is now being developed by San Diego-based OliverMcMillan which has rebranded the condominium and increased the allure of the property.
This is good news since Pacifica Honolulu had stopped construction in the fall of 2008 after the developer lost his construction loan and stopped funding the project with his own equity. The 27th floor of the concrete tower had been poured, and the exterior glass and interior finishes were partially underway.
What good news are you hearing from your consumers?
A few new developments in the sustainability world have come to pass since my last note.
One week ago, Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and John Kerry (D-Mass) launched a campaign for their climate bill. The purpose of the “Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act,” which, incidentally, does not include the word “climate” in its title, is “to create energy jobs, promote energy independence, reduce global warming pollution and transition to a clean energy economy.”
While this proposal incorporates every industry, it is important to point out that green collar jobs are, in fact, on the rise within the building industry. A certain level of green consciousness—which seems to be higher than that of the average Joe—has come to pass within the industry that has long been blamed for the majority of the nation’s carbon emissions.
On another note, Google recently released a PowerMeter, which was created as a free electricity usage monitoring tool for utilities and consumers. As the Frequently Asked Questions site explains, Google built the tool to provide information to consumers.
This idea of monitoring one’s energy usage is certainly not a new one. In a recent MHN post, Dimitris Kapsis, vice president of energy management solutions at American Utility Management, discusses the importance of performing facilities audits in multifamily buildings.
Of course, monitoring energy and water consumption at a multifamily community is much different—and I assume much more difficult—than it would be at a single-family home, but the concept is the same. Everyone needs to play a role in managing their use of the earth’s national resources. The question is, how much of a role should, and can, government play in mandating our use? Have we gotten to the point where we have spread our resources so thin that the only way to resolve the issue is to have our resource use regulated?
What do you think? How much legislation needs to be introduced—and/or passed—for everyone to understand the importance of preserving our earth? Share your thoughts. Email me at ESchnitzer@multi-housingnews.com or leave your comments here.
(Erika Schnitzer is Associate Editor at MHN).
New York City is flooded with some major events this week: the U.N. General Assembly, the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative and Climate Week N.Y.C., which falls just a few months before the international climate meeting slated to take place in Copenhagen this winter.
At a meeting at the U.N. on Tuesday, President Barack Obama, addressing world dignitaries, noted that though some progress has been made in the fight to combat climate change, there is much more work to be done.
The President called on all nations to work together to face the global crisis. “Difficulty is no excuse for complacency. Unease is no excuse for inaction,” he said. “Each of us must do what we can when we can to grow our economies without endangering our planet – and we must all do it together.”
For a while now, much of the burden of reducing greenhouse gas emissions has been placed on those in the building industry. But the industry has also made some truly great advances in making our buildings healthier and more sustainable.
There are still those, however, who have not yet embraced the concept of building green. Perhaps it is due to finances, a lack of education about the benefits—whatever the reason, everyone, in the industry, or outside it, must come together to figure out the best means possible to make our lives, and the future, a little bit greener.
The President has called on nations to work together to fight the fight. It seems to me that many in the industry are already doing so. Is it possible that the world could learn a lesson or two from our buildings?
What do you think? How does the multifamily industry—or any building sector, for that matter—already work together to make our lives more sustainable? Or do you disagree—is there more that can be done within the industry to bring people together and take a more integrated building approach?
Share your thoughts. Email me at Erika.Schnitzer@nielsen.com, or leave your comments here for others to view and learn from.
(Erika Schnitzer is Associate Editor at Multi-Housing News.)
Does it matter how green your buildings are if the people responsible for their daily operations don’t know how to properly maintain their sustainable lifestyle?
In New York City, Urban Green (the city’s chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council) and 32BJ, a building service workers union, have launched a plan to train 1,000 green building superintendents this year.
According to the program’s website, the group of managers currently undergoing training (within the first two courses) represent 55 buildings, or 4,600 apartments throughout the city, ranging in age from one to 120 years old.
The program is designed to prioritize skills to reduce energy use within a building and train supers in all aspects of green building operations and maintenance.
What do you think? Is this a feasible program? Should other cities and localities institute similar programs? How important is education when it comes to your building’s daily operations?
Share your thoughts. Email me at Erika.Schnitzer@nielsen.com
According to McKinsey & Co.’s recent report, “Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Economy,” investing in energy-efficient buildings now will lead to $1.2 trillion in savings, as well as reduce the nation’s energy consumption by 23 percent, by 2020.
“Green building can stimulate the economy at a level one and a half times larger than the federal stimulus bill,” says Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of the USGBC, one of the 12 sponsors of the report. “By leveraging existing green building approaches, like LEED, which is rooted in holistic and integrated design, we have the ability and capacity now to address multiple barriers, and thus generate additional resource efficiencies and cost savings.”
The report points out the importance of “whole-building design,” which considers optimizing the building’s design for the local environment, minimizing energy consumption, pursuing holistic design and improving design and installation practices.
Many multifamily developers and architects who I have talked to recently have acknowledged these opportunities, at least to some extent. Even if their buildings aren’t certified by any particular standard, these methods are certainly considered at some point in the building process, even if it’s stemming from a financial, rather than a sustainable, motivation.
The problem with multi-housing developments, it seems, is that not all residents understand and employ green methods in their lives. While you can’t force your residents to embrace a sustainable lifestyle, you can certainly give them the tools they need to understand what this means. Because even if you build to the highest of green standards, it won’t be nearly as effective as you had hoped if the end user does not utilize these tools.
As operators, you need to educate your residents about what it means to live in a green building. (As a side note, I recently visited a LEED Silver multifamily community as a prospective renter. Not once did the leasing agent describe a single green benefit—he didn’t even mention the solar roof panels!—to me. Is this because he didn’t think I’d care or I wouldn’t deem it important to my decision?)
Why not promote your green features? (You never know who will be visiting your site and their knowledge of green building!) And when your prospect decides to choose you—maybe because of those green features you forgot to highlight—make sure you educate him about living in a green building and the role he can play in furthering your building’s, and your company’s, green initiatives. Because you’re just one piece of the green puzzle—everyone needs to be involved.
What do you think? Should green features be highlighted on a tour of your building? How much education do you provide your renters about living a green lifestyle, whether your building is certified or not? What steps are you taking to invest in energy efficiency in your buildings today?
Last week, I had the opportunity to meet with some of the industry’s most green-oriented executives, whom MHN had invited to judge our Second Annual Green Initiative Awards.
Needless to say, it was quite an experience to get together with a group of four individuals who are so completely devoted to sustainability that, in at least one instance, they have actually spearheaded the movement. (And let me add that I learned quite a bit when some heated debates broke out.)
In reviewing the submissions, the panel of judges—which included Anthony Morena, principal of The REDD (Real Estate Design & Development) Group; Dana Bourland, vice president of green initiatives for Enterprise Community Partners; Andy Padian, vice president of energy initiatives for the Community Preservation Corporation (CPC); and Robert Roth, Esq., president and founder of Green Envy Development—raised a number of rather interesting points.
Though I’ve heard it before in numerous interviews regarding a variety of topics, the panel noted the importance of water conservation, as “water becomes the new oil,” that is, that water is sure to become the resource over which wars are fought.
Since this is not the first time I’ve heard this statement made, it really got me thinking—how much water does each of us waste in our daily lives? What are some seemingly basic steps that each of us can, and should, take to ensure water does not become such a hot-button issue? In addition to the seemingly ubiquitous low-flow fixtures, what should building owners and operators do to make their buildings—and residents—consume less water? With all the new advances in technology, it would appear that the answer is an obvious one—but is it?
Share your thoughts. Email me at Erika.Schnitzer@nielsen.com
According to McKinsey & Co.’s recent report, “Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Economy,” investing in energy-efficient buildings now will lead to $1.2 trillion in savings, as well as reduce the nation’s energy consumption by 23 percent, by 2020.
“Green building can stimulate the economy at a level one and a half times larger than the federal stimulus bill,” says Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of the USGBC, one of the 12 sponsors of the report. “By leveraging existing green building approaches, like LEED, which is rooted in holistic and integrated design, we have the ability and capacity now to address multiple barriers, and thus generate additional resource efficiencies and cost savings.”
The report points out the importance of “whole-building design,” which considers optimizing the building’s design for the local environment, minimizing energy consumption, pursuing holistic design and improving design and installation practices.
Many multifamily developers and architects who I have talked to recently have acknowledged these opportunities, at least to some extent. Even if their buildings aren’t certified by any particular standard, these methods are certainly considered at some point in the building process, even if it’s stemming from a financial, rather than a sustainable, motivation.
The problem with multi-housing developments, it seems, is that not all residents understand and employ green methods in their lives. While you can’t force your residents to embrace a sustainable lifestyle, you can certainly give them the tools they need to understand what this means. Because even if you build to the highest of green standards, it won’t be nearly as effective as you had hoped if the end user does not utilize these tools.
As operators, you need to educate your residents about what it means to live in a green building. (As a side note, I recently visited a LEED Silver multifamily community as a prospective renter. Not once did the leasing agent describe a single green benefit—he didn’t even mention the solar roof panels!—to me. Is this because he didn’t think I’d care or I wouldn’t deem it important to my decision?)
Why not promote your green features? (You never know who will be visiting your site and their knowledge of green building!) And when your prospect decides to choose you—maybe because of those green features you forgot to highlight—make sure you educate him about living in a green building and the role he can play in furthering your building’s, and your company’s, green initiatives. Because you’re just one piece of the green puzzle—everyone needs to be involved.
What do you think? Should green features be highlighted on a tour of your building? How much education do you provide your renters about living a green lifestyle, whether your building is certified or not? What steps are you taking to invest in energy efficiency in your buildings today?
Share your thoughts. Email me at Erika.Schnitzer@nielsen.com.
What do Bentley Prince Street’s Cool Carpet, Arbor Contract Carpet,
WeatherTRAK Smart Water Management by HydroPoint Data Systems Inc.,
Post Properties’ EcoActive program, The Tower Companies’ “Beyond Green”
program and Forest City’s “Roadmap to Intrinsic Sustainability” have in
common?
They were all winners of MHN’s 2008 Green Initiative Awards! (Click here for details about last year’s winners.)
With sustainability an increasingly “hot,” albeit important, topic,
more and more companies are paving the way for a greener future.
Whether it’s a recycled-content carpet, technology that creates a
rational irrigation schedule based on the landscape or a corporate
initiative pledging a company’s carbon neutrality, any eco-friendly
step you can take to make your surroundings that much greener is surely
a step in the right direction.
For more information on “the truth about green business,” click here for MHN’s interview with Gil Friend, the man who wrote the book on the topic.
Think you have what it takes to be this year’s winner? Enter our
Green Initiative Awards to find out. This year we will be judging
entries against one another of the same level of involvement, so don’t
be shy, even if you’re just beginning! We understand the importance of
taking that first step and we applaud anyone who recognizes the
importance of sustainability in their business.
For more information on our awards program, click here or else click here to download the entry form directly.
If you have any questions, please email me at Erika.Schnitzer@nielsen.com.
The House of Representatives recently passed energy and climate legislation that would include a number of provisions for green building incentives. The Waxman-Markey bill, otherwise known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454), would include such things as:
-A building retrofit program, which would include standards for both residential and nonresidential buildings;
-A building energy performance labeling program, which would encourage both owners and occupants to learn about building energy performance;
-Established percentage targets for energy use reductions in new residential and commercial buildings;
-The GREEN (Green Resources for Energy Efficient Neighborhoods) Act, which includes provisions related to residential energy efficiency.
For a detailed summary of the legislation, as established by the USGBC, click here.
NMHC has analyzed the apartment-related provisions in the bill, noting “unrealistic code mandates,” “federal cause of action against property owners,” ‘building energy usage labeling requirements,” and “renewable energy requirements” as just some of the potential problems multifamily firms could face if the bill is passed into law.
In the analysis, NMHC points out, “code-based conservation proposals put extreme pressure on apartment firms to invest in expensive upgrades without significantly improving overall building energy performance.” As the Council observes, most of the energy used in multi-housing is not covered by the legislation, so meeting the levels would require not only upgrades to the building envelope and HVAC systems but also lighting, appliances, etc.
Click here for NMHC’s full analysis.
What do you think? Does this appear to be a “one size fits all” legislation that, once again, does not take multifamily buildings into account as a special case? Or is it a start in the right direction?
Share your thoughts. Email me at Erika.Schnitzer@nielsen.com.
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