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© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Requirements
Meet the requirements of one or more of the following options.
Option 1. Diversity of housing types (1–3 points)
Include a sufficient variety of housing sizes and types in the project such that the total variety of planned and existing housing within the project achieves a Simpson Diversity Index score greater than 0.5, using the housing categories below. Projects of less than 125 acres (50.5 hectares) may calculate the Simpson Diversity Index for the area within ¼ mile (400 meters) of the project’s geographic center. The Simpson Diversity Index calculates the probability that any two randomly selected dwelling units in a project will be of a different type. Score = 1- ∑ (n/N)2 Where n = the total number of dwelling units in a single category, and N = the total number of dwelling units in all categories.Table 1. Points for housing diversity
Simpson Diversity Index score |
Points |
---|---|
> 0.5 to |
1 |
≥ 0.6 to |
2 |
≥ 0.7 |
3 |
Table 2. Housing categories
Type |
Square feet |
Square meters |
---|---|---|
Detached residential, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Detached residential, small |
≤ 1,250 |
≤ 116 |
Duplex or townhouse, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Duplex or townhouse, small |
≤ 1,250 |
≤ 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with no elevator, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with no elevator, medium |
> 750 to ≤ 1,250 |
> 70 to ≤ 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with no elevator, small |
≤ 750 |
≤ 70 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 4 stories or fewer, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 4 stories or fewer, medium |
> 750 to ≤ 1,250 |
> 70 to ≤ 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 4 stories or fewer, small |
≤ 750 |
≤ 70 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 5 to 8 stories, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 5 to 8 stories, medium |
> 750 to ≤ 1,250 |
> 70 to ≤ 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 5 to 8 stories, small |
≤ 750 |
≤ 70 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 9 stories or more, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 9 stories or more, medium |
> 750 to ≤ 1,250 |
> 70 to ≤ 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 9 stories or more, small |
≤ 750 |
≤ 70 |
Live-work space, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Live-work space, small |
≤ 1,250 |
≤ 116 |
Accessory dwelling unit, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Accessory dwelling unit, small |
≤ 1,250 |
≤ 116 |
AND/OR
Option 2. Affordable Housing (1–3 points)
Include a proportion of new rental and/or for-sale dwelling units priced for households earning less than the area median income (AMI). Rental units must be maintained at affordable levels for a minimum of 15 years. Existing dwelling units are exempt from requirement calculations. Meet any combination of thresholds in Table 3, up to a maximum of 3 points.Table 3. Points for affordable housing
Rental dwelling units |
For-sale dwelling units |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Priced up to 60% AMI |
Priced up to 80% AMI |
Priced up to 100% AMI |
Priced up to 120% AMI |
||||
Percentage of total rental units |
Points |
Percentage of total rental units |
Points |
Percentage of total for-sale units |
Points |
Percentage of total for-sale units |
Points |
5 |
1 |
10 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
8 |
1 |
10 |
2 |
15 |
2 |
10 |
2 |
12 |
2 |
15 |
3 |
25 |
3 |
15 |
3 |
— |
— |
AND/OR
Option 3. Housing types and affordable housing (1 point)
A project may earn an additional point by earning at least 2 points in Option 1 and at least 2 points in Option 2 (at least one of which must be for providing housing at or below 100% AMI). See all forum discussions about this credit »What does it cost?
Cost estimates for this credit
On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.
Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.
This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.
Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »Frequently asked questions
See all forum discussions about this credit »Documentation toolkit
The motherlode of cheat sheets
LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Requirements
Meet the requirements of one or more of the following options.
Option 1. Diversity of housing types (1–3 points)
Include a sufficient variety of housing sizes and types in the project such that the total variety of planned and existing housing within the project achieves a Simpson Diversity Index score greater than 0.5, using the housing categories below. Projects of less than 125 acres (50.5 hectares) may calculate the Simpson Diversity Index for the area within ¼ mile (400 meters) of the project’s geographic center. The Simpson Diversity Index calculates the probability that any two randomly selected dwelling units in a project will be of a different type. Score = 1- ∑ (n/N)2 Where n = the total number of dwelling units in a single category, and N = the total number of dwelling units in all categories.Table 1. Points for housing diversity
Simpson Diversity Index score |
Points |
---|---|
> 0.5 to |
1 |
≥ 0.6 to |
2 |
≥ 0.7 |
3 |
Table 2. Housing categories
Type |
Square feet |
Square meters |
---|---|---|
Detached residential, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Detached residential, small |
≤ 1,250 |
≤ 116 |
Duplex or townhouse, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Duplex or townhouse, small |
≤ 1,250 |
≤ 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with no elevator, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with no elevator, medium |
> 750 to ≤ 1,250 |
> 70 to ≤ 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with no elevator, small |
≤ 750 |
≤ 70 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 4 stories or fewer, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 4 stories or fewer, medium |
> 750 to ≤ 1,250 |
> 70 to ≤ 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 4 stories or fewer, small |
≤ 750 |
≤ 70 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 5 to 8 stories, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 5 to 8 stories, medium |
> 750 to ≤ 1,250 |
> 70 to ≤ 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 5 to 8 stories, small |
≤ 750 |
≤ 70 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 9 stories or more, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 9 stories or more, medium |
> 750 to ≤ 1,250 |
> 70 to ≤ 116 |
Dwelling unit in multiunit building with elevator, 9 stories or more, small |
≤ 750 |
≤ 70 |
Live-work space, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Live-work space, small |
≤ 1,250 |
≤ 116 |
Accessory dwelling unit, large |
> 1,250 |
> 116 |
Accessory dwelling unit, small |
≤ 1,250 |
≤ 116 |
AND/OR
Option 2. Affordable Housing (1–3 points)
Include a proportion of new rental and/or for-sale dwelling units priced for households earning less than the area median income (AMI). Rental units must be maintained at affordable levels for a minimum of 15 years. Existing dwelling units are exempt from requirement calculations. Meet any combination of thresholds in Table 3, up to a maximum of 3 points.Table 3. Points for affordable housing
Rental dwelling units |
For-sale dwelling units |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Priced up to 60% AMI |
Priced up to 80% AMI |
Priced up to 100% AMI |
Priced up to 120% AMI |
||||
Percentage of total rental units |
Points |
Percentage of total rental units |
Points |
Percentage of total for-sale units |
Points |
Percentage of total for-sale units |
Points |
5 |
1 |
10 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
8 |
1 |
10 |
2 |
15 |
2 |
10 |
2 |
12 |
2 |
15 |
3 |
25 |
3 |
15 |
3 |
— |
— |
AND/OR