The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today announced it will co-host the National Affordable Green Homes & Sustainable Communities Summit with the Institute for Professional and Executive Development (IPED) - an affiliate of Nixon Peabody LLP and Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. (Enterprise). The two-day summit will take place Nov. 13 - 14, 2012 in San Francisco, Calif. at the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building.

"Greening the affordable housing sector is a critical priority in our mission of transforming the built environment, and over half of all LEED-certified homes are affordable housing," said Nate Kredich, Vice President, Residential Market Development, USGBC. "The Summit will be educational and inspiring for those who are new to the sector, and to those who are already heavily engaged."

The two-day summit will feature a keynote presentation and various educational sessions focused on successfully planning, financing, developing and managing green affordable housing projects, and how this urgently important work addresses the needs of stakeholders, the environment, and community resilience.

"IPED's collaboration at Greenbuild reflects our shared commitment to providing professionals with knowledge, tools and inspiration to achieve a sustainable future," said Jeffrey Lesk, IPED Board Member. "It's a unique opportunity to connect green development with community development. By showcasing thought leaders in both of these industries, we can present the most innovative ideas and best examples of achieving cost-efficient, energy-saving green affordable housing and community development."

"We are thrilled to offer this high-caliber event at Greenbuild as a continuation of our long history with IPED to host conferences on this important topic," said Dana Bourland, Vice President of Green Initiatives, Enterprise. "Enterprise is committed to working with our partners to bring the benefits of green building to all affordable housing and low-income communities by 2020 and views this summit as an important part of that strategy."

This summit is made possible through the generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which is providing overall program and scholarship funding, as well as Wells Fargo, which is funding recipient scholarships as well as the networking reception.

"This summit puts affordable housing at the center of efforts to green the built environment. The result is better living conditions, and improved operations, which lead to long-term affordability," said Julia Stasch, Vice President of U.S. Programs, MacArthur Foundation. "Sustainable housing policy for the future will be created by interaction among the industry leaders here at the summit."

"Wells Fargo seeks to ensure that as we do business natural resources are protected and environmental, social and economic needs are considered as part of our everyday decisions," said Mary Wenzel, director of Wells Fargo Environmental Affairs. "We're proud to support this summit because we believe healthy ecosystems are vital to the well being of communities, and when our communities do well, we do well."

Greenbuild 2012 will feature three days of networking, educational sessions, green building tours, master speakers and plenary events, combined with the largest expo hall in the 11-year history of Greenbuild. Registration for Greenbuild and the National Affordable Green Homes & Sustainable Communities Summit at Greenbuild is currently open. For more information on Greenbuild 2012, visit greenbuildexpo.org.