Welcome
Welcome to the Minnesota Sustainable Housing Initiative web site. This web site is a portal for information and research being conducted by the Center for Sustainable Building Research to inform and support the creation of affordable, healthy, durable, and resource and energy efficient homes throughout the state and region. The initiative recognizes affordability as a key component in the creation of a sustainable housing stock and communities in Minnesota. Our goal is to provide accurate, helpful, and insightful information to the community of developers, architects, and the construction industry.
In response to the critical challenges facing the affordable housing industry over the next ten years, CSBR is creating a clearinghouse for information and research on best practices and new technologies in sustainable affordable housing. This information is often fragmented and not widely shared. CSBR's efforts will be to consolidate knowledge, create a feedback loop for local successes in order to encourage cross-pollination, and develop tools for the benefit of the housing construction sector in the region.
This site is intended to be a living resource and guide, it will evolve and change to address shifts in the market place and the concerns of its users. To that end, please let us know if there are particular research areas that you would like to see addressed.
Highlights
If you are planning or implementing an affordable housing project using the Minnesota Overlay to Green Communities for Multifamily Development or the Green Communities Criteria visit the Guidelines section for links to reference resources and additional information on relationships to Minnesota codes and specifications.
New to sustainable building? The Environmental Topics pages provide a primer on environmental issues, offer project goals by ecological area, and strategies to help you identify options and solutions for your project.
