Madeline Fraser Cook heads up unit that connects green development movement to full range of neighborhood projects as well as next generation of low-income community workers NEW YORK, March 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In its role as the national force behind comprehensive community revitalization, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) today announced the launch of its Green Development Center to support green design, construction, and management principles in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. LISC thinks that greener buildings are key components in achieving sustainable communities of choice and opportunity -- good places to work, do business and raise children. Madeline Fraser Cook, a national expert in providing technical assistance to community-based organization on green and sustainable design techniques, has been hired to head up the new unit. While the official unveiling of LISC's Green Development Center is new, the company's emphasis on sustainable building and management principles is not. Since 2004, LISC, through grants and technical assistance, has been encouraging its community development partners to design and build energy-efficient and resource-efficient buildings with healthier indoor air. The benefits include 1) preserving family income and wealth by lowering utility bills and increasing home values, 2) connecting neighborhoods to green-related job opportunities in the design and building trades, 3) providing schools with better learning environments, and stronger operating margins, and 4) supporting healthier lifestyles by exposing residents to fewer toxic substances, lessening respiratory problems. With support from The Home Depot Foundation, LISC in the San Francisco Bay area launched "Green Connection," a program to educate new affordable housing developers about green building principles, and to make greener capital improvements and maintenance practices into existing properties. In Boston, LISC created a "green screen" assessment tool with partner New Ecology, Inc. that helps developers take maximum advantage of greening opportunities in their projects. In Duluth, LISC is involved in a number of green building projects, including a solar demonstration model home and a 70-unit supportive affordable housing building serving homeless people. LISC is supporting similar efforts in Hartford, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Philadelphia, Virginia, Washington, DC and a number of rural areas. Regional partners include Earthpledge, Global Green, New Ecology, Inc., and Southface Energy Institute.
