Energy Performance and Community Resilience: A Review of Housing Policy and Programs

The researchers state that it is important to recognize how expenses related to energy use in residential buildings can be reduced through effective policy and the role that integrated planning and design plays in realizing more resilient housing and communities. The objective of this research is to understand how energy is considered in American housing policy in order to determine how successful programs and strategies contribute to improved energy performance in the development of affordable housing. Housing policy was analyzed and successful strategies and case study projects were identified to establish best practices. Outcomes show that energy considerations in housing policy largely follow other patterns of more energy-conscious environmental design. The community-based approach infused in U.S. housing policy remains central to more energy-conscious housing.

keywords: Housing, Energy, Energy-efficiency, Resilient Communities