We’re happy to share exciting news about the for-sale townhomes in Village Grove in Trumansburg, NY: our ten Community Housing Trust (CHT) homes have officially earned LEED Gold, Indoor Air Plus, and Efficient New Homes, formerly Zero Energy Ready Homes (ZERH), certifications! This is a huge milestone for us as its INHS’s first Efficient New Homes certification, and for the future of sustainable housing in our community.

About Efficient New Homes Certification

Although the name may sound technical, the concept is straightforward: a Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) is designed and constructed to achieve exceptional efficiency. When combined with a renewable energy system, such as solar panels, the home can offset nearly all of its energy consumption. In essence, it is prepared to operate at net-zero energy, producing as much energy as it uses.

ZERH is a program established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). While the DOE has recently rebranded the initiative as Efficient New Homes, the concept remains the same: creating homes that are ready for a zero-energy future.

LEED Certification & Indoor Air Plus

INHS is a national leader in real estate development that integrates green building practices. INHS was among the developers instrumental in creating the LEED for Homes building standards, the leading national residential green standard.

INHS consistently develops housing that exceeds industry benchmarks for sustainability. To date, INHS has delivered:

• 85 units certified as LEED Platinum
• 103 units certified as LEED Gold
• 77 units certified as LEED Silver

The remainder of INHS-developed housing units meet or surpass a variety of other green-building certification requirements. This track record reflects INHS’s unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship and high-performance housing. INHS units are also certified Indoor Air Plus, a program developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that focuses on improving indoor air quality in new homes.

Features You’ll Find in Village Grove Homes

To meet these certifications, our homes include:

• High-performance heat pump systems for heating and cooling
• Heat pump water heaters
• Super-insulated walls and roofs
• Triple-pane windows
• Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) for fresh air circulation without energy loss

These features not only reduce energy use but also improve comfort and indoor air quality. In fact, qualifying for ZERH also meant meeting DOE’s Indoor Air Plus standards, which focus on healthy ventilation in airtight homes.

Village Grove represents what’s possible when sustainability meets community development. These certifications aren’t just badges—they’re proof that affordable housing can also be high-performance, healthy, and future-ready.