Thistle Community Housing's Blue Vista receives Green Development of the Year From National Association of Home Builders
You don't need a lot of Green$ to be Green!
On May 11, 2008 the National Association of Home Builders, at its Green Building conference in New Orleans, presented Thistle's Blue Vista new home development in Longmont, Colorado with its 2008 National GREEN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD. Blue Vista is one of the first in the country to be both green and affordable to people who earn modest incomes--teachers, health care workers, and retirees.
"These honorees are pioneers, artists and building scientists," said NAHB President Sandy Dunn, "They've worked hard to bring sustainable building practices into the mainstream. These winners are not afraid to put great ideas in motion." Added Ray Tonjes, NAHB Green Building subcommittee chair, “NAHB congratulates Blue Vista as a national leader in green building.”
Blue Vista is a bright spot in the suffering housing industry. Home buyers receive education and counseling so they can have wise mortgages and sustainable payments. The homes will hold value, and over their life, will save more than $22,000 in energy bills. “Our utility bills that averaged $200 per month in our old place, are now averaging $75 or less per month,” said Mike Van-Es, who moved into Blue Vista with his wife and two children this past winter.
Thistle designed Blue Vista (Winner of an American Planning Association award, as well) as a 198-home All American neighborhood. Thistle is selling 100 homes which will be permanently affordable to income-qualified working families, seniors and people with disabilities. These buyers contribute self-help hours to finish their homes with their soon-to-be neighbors. Boulder Creek Life and Home is constructing all 198 homes and is selling the other 98 market rate homes.
Longmont Mayor, Roger Lange said, “Blue Vista was designed and is being built green to far exceed local code standards. The City of Longmont, an All-American Award winning city, has invested in Blue Vista because it addresses un-met affordable housing needs in the City. By using the innovative land trust strategy and green-building practices, Blue Vista is able to benefit the local environment and strengthen the fabric of our community.”
Thistle CEO Mary Roosevelt noted, “Green is now becoming a standard choice for consumers in almost every area of their lives, from building to Barbies. We are pleased to offer the best product we can in a very competitive market and we thank NAHB for recognizing our efforts.”
Founded in 1942, NAHB is a federation of more than 800 state and local associations. About one-third of NAHB’s 235,000 members are home builders and/or remodelers.
A NEW COMMUNITY IS BORN – THISTLE’s BLUE VISTA Neighborhood
First Homeowner Moves into Blue Vista
On June 27, 2007 Susan Tatum, a first-grade teacher and single mother of three, became the first resident of Thistle’s new energy-efficient, affordable community, Blue Vista in Longmont. This long-awaited event is the culmination of five years of effort by Thistle Community Housing and its partners as well as the fulfillment of a dream Susan thought might never happen.
A first-time homebuyer and Longmont native, she said, “As a single mother, my choices are limited. I wanted to live and work in the same town and Thistle provided the opportunity. I was surprised to be able to purchase a brand new home that is built amazingly well. My independent home inspector told me I will have very low energy bills.”
All Blue Vista homes will exceed Built Green and Energy Star certified ratings. All homes offer improved indoor air quality and ventilation resulting from the use of green-building practices. S
