Mayor Taveras Signs Green and Healthy Housing Initiative Compact; Endorses U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement

Mayor Angel Taveras today signed a pair of agreements designed to boost Providence's efforts to reduce the capital city's carbon footprint, invest in renewable and energy efficient technology and work to make Providence a leader in the green economy.

Green and Healthy Housing Initiative (GHHI) Compact
By signing the GHHI Compact, the City formalizes its commitment to become one of 15 sites around the nation participating in the GHHI initiative. Through GHHI, the City will work with a number of partner organizations, including the National Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning, the State Office of Energy Resources, the RI Department of Health, the Rhode Island Foundation, and others to make its housing stock more energy efficient, safer, and healthier for low and moderate income Providence families. Over the next two years, the City and its partners will work to provide comprehensive energy efficiency, health, and safety upgrades in 250 homes. Benefits to City residents will include:

• Decreased energy bills
• Decreased water bills
• Better health and less money spent on doctor and emergency room visits due to asthma, lead poisoning and other home based health and safety hazards.
• Fewer days missed from work and school due to illness.
• Increased property values and marketability as homes are improved.
• New job and skills training opportunities in the City's construction sector, and finally;
• Peace of mind knowing you and your family live in a greener, healthier, and safer home.

The Rhode Island Foundation has worked closely with City staff to bring GHHI to Providence. According to Neil Steinberg, the Foundation's President and CEO "GHHI is a great opportunity for philanthropy to collaborate with the City to leverage our collective resources to improve both our environment and the health of Providence residents. We are grateful for Mayor Taveras' leadership and support as we join together to advance this important Initiative".

The national GHHI effort is led by the National Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning in partnership with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Council on Foundations. The initiative has a goal to complete 500,000 Green and Healthy units throughout the country by 2015.

U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement
Taveras also signed a Climate Protection Agreement first endorsed by U.S. Mayors in 2005, which urges federal and state governments to enact policies that will meet or beat the target of reducing global warming pollution levels to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012, including efforts to curb American dependence on fossil fuels and to accelerate the development of clean, economical energy resources and fuel-efficient technologies. The Agreement also strives to meet or exceed Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing pollution as a result of global warming.

Download a copy of the signed Climate Protection Agreement here.

To learn more about these initiatives, contact Matt Stark, Policy Director.