ReDevelopment

HACP Reaffirms Commitment to Sustainable Development, Joins Green Building Alliance’s Pittsburgh 2030 District

A greener future is on the horizon, and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) is helping lead the way.

HACP is proud to announce that it is expanding its commitment to sustainable development by joining the Green Building Alliance’s Pittsburgh 2030 District. Composed of over 550 buildings, the Pittsburgh 2030 District is a collective of property owners making voluntary commitments to reduce their carbon emissions, energy usage, water usage, and emissions from transportation by the year 2030.

“This is the next step,” said HACP Executive Director Caster D. Binion. “We’ve been working hard to make our buildings and developments more eco-friendly, but this will bring that commitment to the next level.”

As part of the Pittsburgh 2030 District, HACP has pledged to reduce carbon emissions for existing buildings by 50-65% and keep new construction carbon neutral by the year 2030. Not only will this initiative reduce energy and water consumption, it will also make building operations more efficient, modernizing HACP’s property portfolio and saving money.

“It’s a big win for everyone,” said Mr. Binion. “It’s a win for us, it’s a win for the city, it’s a win for our residents. And, it’s a win for the planet.”

The Pittsburgh 2030 District gives HACP the opportunity to scale up its sustainability efforts and work with other property owners and developers on a regional level. With access to new monthly discussions, performance inspections, and peer networks, HACP is set to build on its success and enhance its role in moving the Pittsburgh area towards a more sustainable future.

“Sustainability is nothing new at HACP,” said Mr. Binion. “We’ve been working for years to be greener and more eco-friendly. But we can’t do that work alone, and now we have a supportive network of partners that will broaden our efforts and increase our impact.”

Participating in the Pittsburgh 2030 District comes on the heels of HACP’s other sustainability initiatives. In 2021, HACP joined the Better Buildings Challenge from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Energy. This put HACP in the company of 34 other public housing authorities, including the Philadelphia Housing Authority, committed to reducing their energy usage by 20% over a ten-year period.

The Challenge also gave HACP the opportunity to showcase some of its best practices in green development and energy efficiency, like the installation of solar panels at the Bedford EnVision Center, the use of geothermal heating systems in Northview Heights and Homewood North, and the focus on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards in recent development. HACP plans to continue efforts like these and more to meet its commitments to the Pittsburgh 2030 District.

“We’re a leader in the region, and we take that seriously,” said Mr. Binion. “That’s why we’re at the forefront of eco-friendly development. It’s going to take all of us, but we’re ready to do our part to build a greener future for the Pittsburgh region.”

Contact: For more information, contact Michelle Sandidge, Chief Community Affairs Officer, at michelle.sandidge@hacp.org or 412-456-5058.

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