Sustainability is a core value that underlies every project INHS embarks on as we work to expand housing opportunities in our community. From the very beginning, we’ve designed and built homes that exceed industry standards. As a national leader in real estate development that incorporates green building practices, we helped create the LEED standards that are now the leading national residential standard.

Our building and renovation projects consistently exceed green building standards, with over 250 LEED Platinum, Gold, or Silver-certified housing units in our roster of projects. All our units are built to meet or exceed certification requirements, with the result that the energy efficiency of every INHS unit is at least 48 percent higher than mandated by the NYS Energy Conservation Code. That energy efficiency provides our residents with comfortable living spaces, and also reduced energy bills and a smaller environmental footprint.

Beyond sustainable building practices, we incorporate a holistic approach into every aspect of project planning. We understand the importance of environmental justice and climate adaptation, prioritizing development in existing town and village centers and ensuring that developments are accessible to lower-income and marginalized communities. By providing support services and transportation options, we create inclusive communities with built-in resiliency to the challenges of climate change.

For existing homeowners, we offer the benefits of sustainability through our Minor and Major Repair Programs, making countless repairs and upgrades that enhance home efficiency and create healthier and more comfortable environments for residents. The reduction in energy bills is impressive, and the impact of this work on quality of life is clear as well. One homeowner shared with us how relieved they were to no longer need to crawl under their house to thaw frozen pipes with a blow-dryer in winter.

We’ve completed some remarkable projects that embody our commitment to sustainability, and we’re looking forward to continuing to innovate with projects that are now in the planning stages. Founders Way, completed in 2022, is the most recent example, meeting EPA Energy Star Homes V3.1 standards and offering convenient access to downtown services and transportation options in the City of Ithaca while preserving and reusing an existing school building.

Our upcoming Village Grove project in the Village of Trumansburg will continue and expand upon our tradition of excellence in sustainability. The planned residential mixed-use, mixed-income project has already been honored with a NYSERDA Building of Excellence award for its high-performance design, intended to insure low-carbon operation. More recently, it received the Phius Design Certification for passive, net-zero building design. Village Grove is one of the first affordable housing developments in upstate New York to pioneer passive building design. Through a combination of utilizing ground-source heat pumps and purchasing off-site community solar, the project aims to serve as a model for the design and construction of multi-family buildings for a carbon-neutral future.

Village Grove demonstrates INHS’s unwavering commitment to green standards, energy efficiency, and environmental justice. We are proud to lead the way in sustainable real estate development, creating eco-friendly homes that make a positive impact on our neighbors, our communities, and our planet.