Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. – For the third consecutive year, National CORE has been recognized as a LEED Homes Power Builder by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) at their annual LEED Homes Awards. National CORE was one of twelve developers nationwide to qualify for this designation, which is reserved for developers and builders who achieve LEED Certification with at least 75 percent of their homes and apartments for 2020. National CORE holds the distinction of being the only nonprofit affordable housing developer on the list.

The LEED Homes Awards celebrate developers and builders using LEED’s sustainable design and construction principles to improve the quality of life for residents, reduce a building’s impact on the environment and create healthier and more resilient communities.

“The LEED standard continues to help buildings become sustainable and healthier for occupants and plays an even more important role when it’s applied to our personal spaces – our homes,” said USGBC President/CEO Mahesh Ramanujam. “We are seeing more and more homeowners and builders pursue LEED, and USGBC aspires to make every home a LEED-certified home.”

National CORE has dedicated itself to the design and construction of cost-contained, high-performance affordable housing that integrates energy efficiency and sustainability into each development and home. In 2020, National CORE built 323 apartment homes that were certified LEED Gold. National CORE’s construction team uses the LEED framework to drive their design decisions, carefully considering technology choices to ensure affordable building costs, minimize long-term operational costs, and the lowest possible utility bills for residents.

Since last October, National CORE has opened two new zero net energy communities, Day Creek Senior Villas in Rancho Cucamonga, and Vista Verde in Ontario. Day Creek Senior Villas generates 100% of its electricity through onsite solar panels, while Vista Verde, National CORE’s first all-electric community, provides 100% of its energy through onsite renewable energy systems. Additionally, in anticipation of future innovations in transportation, Vista Verde has been built to accommodate an electric vehicle charger for every resident.

National CORE continues to explore new ways to build the most sustainable, cost-effective affordable housing in the industry. In 2021, National CORE will open Crestview Terrace in San Bernardino, another all-electric community with a photovoltaic system that will offset one-third of the community’s needs. Crestview Terrace was the first family development in the Inland Empire to receive funding from the California Strategic Growth Council through the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program.

“National CORE continues to be a leader in the affordable housing industry, showing what is possible for the future of sustainable construction,” said National CORE Director of Sustainable Design Tim Kohut. “Through building cost-contained, high-performance affordable housing we are reducing utility costs for ourselves and our residents. We are defining the pathway forward for carbon-neutral communities for people of all income levels. We are gratified to once again be recognized as a USGBC Power Builder.”

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About National Community Renaissance (National CORE)

National Community Renaissance, based in Southern California, is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit developers of affordable housing. National CORE manages nearly 9,000 affordable, senior, and market-rate units in California, Texas, and Florida. National CORE’s strength is in its ability to offer partners an array of in-house capabilities that navigates the complexities of planning, developing, building, managing, and providing supportive services. For more information on National CORE, please visit www.nationalcore.org.