Oak View Ranch Family Apartments has earned LEED for Homes Gold Certification, becoming National CORE’s 30th LEED-certified community and reinforcing the organization’s long-term commitment to efficient, durable, affordable design.
Oak View Ranch opened in August 2025, providing 119 apartment homes to individuals and families in the heart of Murrieta. The community, which is anchored by a space for the Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County, is the first phase of a multigenerational community that will eventually offer 200 affordable apartment homes. Oak View Ranch Senior Apartments, which broke ground in October 2025, is the second phase of the development.
LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – is a certification program designed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to promote energy efficient home building. Gold is the second highest honor available from the organization. Buildings with this rating are energy efficient, offer access to public transportation, reduce water waste and ensure clean indoor air quality.
“We are so excited to have accomplished such a historic feat. Being recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council even once is a major honor; earning 30 certifications is something else entirely,” said Michael Ruane, president of National CORE. “Our construction and sustainability teams are always looking for the newest avenues to ensure our communities are affordable and limit use of resources.”
Oak View Ranch was developed to fit seamlessly into the surrounding neighborhood – blending into the downtown area’s pedestrian-oriented environment and close-knit character. National CORE built a series of walkways, populated with drought-tolerant plant life, to connect Oak View Ranch with the surrounding area. A rooftop solar panel array provides enough electricity for all common areas and apartment homes. Oak View Ranch is a near zero-carbon and near zero-net energy community.
Perhaps Oak View Ranch’s most stunning feature is its 100-year-old oak tree, which National CORE preserved to provide shade and beauty to residents while cementing the community’s environmentally friendly atmosphere.
To qualify for LEED certification, developers must pass rigorous design and building guidelines that go beyond what most states require. National CORE built Oak View Ranch as an all-electric development, designed to limit its carbon footprint through extensive use of solar power, high-efficiency appliances, all-electric heat pumps and an energy-efficient building envelope.
Oak View Ranch Family Apartments marks National CORE’s 30th overall LEED certified community. The company has earned nine Platinum, 20 Gold and 1 Silver certification. National CORE is also a six-time Power Builder as designated by the U.S. Green Building Council.
“We are in the middle of a green revolution in the affordable housing industry and National CORE is taking the lead on this charge,” said Tim Kohut, National CORE’s director of sustainability. “We’re not just making affordable housing communities; we’re making sure the homes we’re building are safe, long-lasting and good for the environment.”
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