For Immediate Release:
 February 01, 2010

Media Contact:
Amelia Stringer
amelia@miamidade.gov
 305-594-2518



"Open Sesame!" 3 Days of Green House tours in the City of Miami


(Miami-Dade County, FL) --   Open Sesame!” to the newest Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green affordable home. The door will swing wide-open to the public on Tuesday, February 9th through Thursday February 11th from 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. There is no charge and no R.S.V.P. required.

The public is invited to this Green Open Sesame! event for an up-close and personal look at the benefits and cost savings of a sustainable “Green” home. This is also a rare opportunity for the average homebuyer to touch and feel “Green” for themselves. The media and public are encouraged to walk-through this affordably built high-end “Green” home.

Walk-through tours will take place at the soon-to-be Platinum Green home which is located at 1288 Northwest 55th Street, Miami, Florida 33142. This three-day open house will showcase all of the Green features of the second sustainably-built, affordably-priced and environmentally-friendly “Green” home in the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County. Call the 311-Answer Center for information at 786-331-5361.

According to Patricia Braynon, Director of the Housing Finance Authority of Miami-Dade County, “The future of affordable housing is building green from start to finish. Including a Green mortgage provides a much needed incentive to developers who incur the upfront 12% to 15% increase in costs that it takes to make a home sustainable.”

This three bedroom, two bathroom home is expected to receive Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification, the highest level available. The home is also a Florida Power and Light (FPL) Net Metering member. Net Metering means that the home generates its own electricity and any unused energy is fed back to the FPL grid for which the homeowners receive energy credits against their utility bill. Homes built to sustainable standards save families up to 65 percent on utility costs and help reduce the severity of environmentally sensitive health issues such as asthma.

Other green features include:

• Sun-reflecting White tile roof
• Solar light tubes to allow for natural light
• Water-saving dual flush toilets
• No V.O.C. (volatile organic compounds) paints
• Rain water collection system for irrigation
• Tankless water heater
• Solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity
• Net Metering which generates electricity
• Low Maintenance Landscaping

The home is also expected to receive certification as a Florida Friendly Yard from the Florida Yards and Neighborhood Program (FYN). FYN provides knowledge on how to create attractive, healthy, native, low-maintenance landscapes.  

Partners:
Land Donation – City of Miami
Builder – Ariovistus Lundy
Construction Lender – Northern Trust Bank & The Miami Dade Affordable Housing Foundation Inc.
First Mortgage Lender – Northern Trust Bank
Second Mortgage Lender – City of Miami
Green Mortgage Lender – Housing Finance Authority of Miami Dade County

Developers and builders interested in “Green” building initiatives, please contact the Housing Finance Authority at 305-594-2518. For additional information on the LEED Green Building Rating System, please visit http://www.usgbc.org.

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HOUSING FINANCE AUTHORITY