Affordable and green. Those characteristics look to possibly intersect at the newly opened vPoint Apartments located in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia. The new high-rise, mixed-income apartment community is said to be the first step in addressing that city’s affordable housing shortage. Two-thirds of the apartments in the community are being offered at up to 60 percent off average rental rates for the area, with remaining 46 being rented at normal market value.
But what’s different about this affordable housing community looks to be the abundance of green features included in each unit. The complex, co-developed by Bozzuto Development Company and Chesapeake Community Advisors, in partnership with the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA), was built to achieve at least LEED Silver certification. Each apartment features Energy Star appliances, duel-flush toilets and green friendly carpeting. The high-efficiency features in each apartment are also expected to reduce energy consumption by as much as 20 percent.
image via vPoint
Residents in the community have access to carpool drop-off areas and ample bike storage. The community was also built a half block from a local metro station to make commuting even easier. Recycling centers are located on each floor of the building, and reflective roofing materials reduce the amount of heat absorbed, lowering cooling costs and helping improve the surrounding community’s eco-footprint.
Residents that hoping to secure affordable housing rental prices, which are 60 percent of the market value, must meet set income restrictions. A family of two for instance must make no more than $51,600 a year. This apartment complex follows a growing trend we’ve seen around the country, which is the build out of multi-unit dwelling communities that offer a green lifestyle for people at different income levels. That’s smart we think.
[source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Earthtechling/~3/HoZd4dFvkH4/]
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