First Community Housing

First Community Housing (FCH) received Acterra’s 2011 Business Environmental Award in the category of Sustainability for a small organization. The award was received in part due to the FCH commitment to sustainable development which includes three USGBC LEED™ NC Gold certified projects in operation, including a 60-unit studio project supporting the area’s first living roof.

Acterra’s Business Environmental Awards is one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s oldest and most prestigious environmental recognition programs. Initiated in 1990, it is considered a heavyweight among award programs due to its rigorous application and judging process. “Our awardees must demonstrate their environmental commitment and achievements through a careful vetting process,” states Board President Laura Teksler. “In addition to a thorough written application, the top contenders must demonstrate their programs’ merits firsthand to the judges during a visit to the applicants’ facilities. By the time they are selected to receive our award, they have truly proven that their programs are “setting the bar” in corporate environmental leadership.”

“First Community Housing was pursuing green standards in buildings long before LEED came to the forefront. Some of FCH’s most remarkable sustainability features include: creating a unique sustainable facilities manager position to oversee compliance and institutionalize the culture of green operation & maintenance in a traditionally high-turnover workforce… and implementing a comprehensive green purchasing policy that favors local, sustainable vendors. We applaud FCH for truly raising the sustainability bar in the public housing development sector and beyond.” -Christine Kohl-Zaugg, Judging Committee Chair, Business Environmental Awards.

View the video on YouTube, FCH Acterra 2011 BEA.

More on the BEA Program.