Lecture/Presentation

Keeping it Green: Operating Affordable Housing

July 25, 2013 6:00 to 8:00pm

• Where: The Mohawk Group, 71 West 23rd Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10010
• Hosted by: Urban Green Council
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To ensure lasting building sustainability impacts, the best designs and most sophisticated building systems alone are not enough. Over decades of building operation, facility management routines and/or occupant behavior can “undermine” the goal of continued high performance. However, the green designs are far more often showcased than the challenges of “keeping it green” are discussed. These challenges can be particularly felt in the affordable housing community where buildings operate on tight budgets and serve a resident population that may not be steeped in the green building movement.   This Salon’s panel will focus on the issues related to maintaining high performance in affordable housing projects. In the context of three case studies, the panel will discuss on-the-ground operational best practices, staff education programs, tenant engagement, as well as the challenges encountered. Davidson Headley and Ely Sepulveda of Common Ground will showcase two LEED Silver certified supportive housing residences – the Hegeman in Brooklyn and the Brook in the Bronx. Max Ruperti of Phipps Houses will present the LEED Gold certified Via Verde also in the Bronx. Erica Brabon of Steven Winters Associates will then moderate a panel discussion to further explore the challenges and opportunities on the way to long-lasting green building performance.   MODERATOR   Erica Brabon | Senior Consultant, Multifamily Housing, Steven Winter Associates   Erica works as a Senior Consultant at Steven Winter Associates (SWA) in the fields of sustainability and environmental health. Her work at SWA focuses on energy benchmarking and auditing in multifamily and commercial buildings, health and safety in buildings, training building operators and maintenance staff in sustainable operations and energy efficiency, curriculum development, LEED® certification, ENERGY STAR® rating, and development and implementation of sustainable business practices.   SPEAKERS   Davidson (David) Headley | Building Director, Common Ground Community   David is Building Director for Common Ground’s newest supportive housing residence in New York City, The Hegeman, a 161 unit LEED-Silver property in Brownsville, Brooklyn. David has been with Common Ground since 2009 and brings over 25 years of diverse experience in the architecture, construction and facilities management field. David oversees all staff and all aspects of property management including maintenance, security, leasing, compliance, building programs, legal, budgeting, and community affairs.   Max Ruperti | Property Manager, Phipps Houses Services, Inc.   Max is a Senior Project Manager for Phipps Houses Services with 28 years of property/project management experience as a licensed NYS Real Estate Broker and Accredited Residential Manager in New York. Since its opening in April 2012 he has been managing the Via Verde, the LEED Gold Certified co-op and rental property situated in the South Bronx, for Phipps Houses and Jonathan Rose Companies.   Ely Sepulveda | Maintenance Supervisor, Common Ground Community   Ely is the Building Superintendent for Common Ground’s first supportive housing residence in the Bronx, The Brook, a 189 unit LEED-Silver property where he lives with his family. Ely has been with Common Ground since 2010 and brings over 20 years of experience in building maintenance, repair and construction. Together with his staff, Ely monitors and ensures the cleanliness and safety of common spaces, successful operation of building systems, efficient use of resources all while reducing the buildings carbon footprint. Ely has been trained and certified in over 10 green system maintenance areas.   SCHEDULE   6:00 – 6:30pm Registration and Reception 6:30 – 8:00pm Presentations and Panel Discussion

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