Green Homes Office and HMFA Announce Return of Popular "Green Building" Seminar
Participants Will Learn How Develop Energy Efficient Affordable Housing


TRENTON - The New Jersey Green Homes Office (GHO) and New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) announced today that a popular seminar on green building programs will be held March 16 for anyone interested in learning how to tap into resources to develop sustainable and energy efficient affordable housing.

"Energy efficient homes are important to the future of New Jersey and the nation as a whole. They are better for the environment and reduce energy consumption and costs for hardworking households searching for ways to save money," said Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Joseph Doria. "Governor Corzine has focused considerable attention on finding solutions to New Jersey's energy challenges and it’s invigorating to see so many people eager to join the effort."

Participants attending the upcoming seminar will get a crash course in how to obtain HMFA financing for green building projects and how to comply with construction requirements for such projects through the "Green Future" program. They will learn about green building standards under development across the nation and programs such as ENERGY STAR, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes, and the National Association of Home Builders' Green Building Program, among others. The training will also touch on green design guidelines for special needs housing.

"Green features can be, and should be, incorporated into new construction and rehabilitation projects in any setting, whether rural, urban or suburban," said HMFA Executive Director Marge Della Vecchia. "Developments that utilize green components not only benefit the individual project, but enhance the quality of the surrounding environment."

A green building seminar hosted by the GHO in January was so well attended and the demand so high that the GHO and HMFA organized the March 16 training session. The event, which will be held at HMFA headquarters on South Clinton Avenue in Trenton, is free and open to the public.

The GHO, which strives to make New Jersey a leader in green residential construction, is now located within HMFA, an affiliate of the DCA. To that end, HMFA is putting a higher priority on financing housing projects that maintain and enhance the environment.

To learn more about the green building seminar and other green building programs, log on to www.nj-hmfa.com and click on the link for the Green Homes Office. People can also call the GHO at (609) 278-7370 and the HMFA at (609) 278-7400.

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