A white paper on Open Space by Center for the Greater Good.

1. GREEN AND HEALTHY HOUSING
Open Space
Written by Ravi Hanumara
www.CenterforGreaterGood.com | contact@centergg.com | 410 East State Street Eagle, ID 83616

2. Open Space
Affordable housing projects supported by Center for the Greater Good undergo a rigorous due
diligence review to determine that the they will achieve the goals and requirements for significant
social impact. While the provision of social services is often treated as a check the box requirement
or delivered as an underfunded set of interventions, Center for the Greater Good has established
groundbreaking criteria and standards for environmental and social impact that create true impact in
the lives of the residents.
Each community is evaluated from a physical and social perspective and is required to demonstrate
the following minimum standards and criteria:
• Include a community facility meeting minimum space requirements and
design features – 3,000 square feet per 100 units with a minimum size 2,500
square feet;
• Community facility should be constructed using high quality building
materials that do not off-gas;
• The indoor facility should connect to outdoor community space in order to
create an uninterrupted flow of community activities and to optimize the
community physical and psychological benefits of direct access to natural
sunlight and fresh air;
• The facility should be designed for maximum accessibility, beyond ADA
standards, to foster a true sense of togetherness within the community –
which includes members of all abilities and mobility levels;
• The facility should be designed to house a variety of activities, each with
different needs, in the most space efficient way possible through the use of
flexible design.
Center for Greater Good will use finances as leverage to ensure that facilities are constructed and
maintained as per the criteria listed above. Sufficient space also enables the facilities to act as an
‘incubator’ for local non-profit service providers. Providers can share knowledge and resources while
sharing the allocated community space, to help the residents even more.
Open space coupled with healthy surroundings not only improves both the physical and mental
health of residents, but also creates a strong sense of community. Thus, open space is indispensable
in creating a healthy and happy community.
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