Staff Training

The presence of additional staff and on-site services are a unique component to supportive housing. This broader range of staff gives providers the ability to bring green methodology into an array of operational areas.

The maintenance staff is the front line for the building’s maintenance and operations. To keep building systems running optimally and maintained properly, staff must have adequate tools and knowledge. For staff members to do their work well, management practices should be in place to guide and evaluate their work, as well as feedback and support from the main office. Enrolling a building’s operations’ staff into a green training program is the first step to ensuring that a housing portfolio is maintained in the greenest, most efficient and cost-effective way. Operational improvements learned in trainings are greatly reinforced when additional building staff -- from property managers to case workers -- participate in the trainings as well.

Below, you’ll find resources and links to green building staff trainings and materials for greener building operations.

Training

Association for Neighborhood Housing and Development (ANHD)
Member Trainings: ANHD offers multiple training sessions throughout the year on affordable housing production and preservation. Topics may inlude best practices in housing development, improving energy efficiency in multifamily buildings, financing energy conservation building retrofits and more.

Association for Energy Affordability (AEA)
Energy Efficient Building Operations Specialist Training (EEBOPS): A five-day, once a week, course. Review boiler types, heating problems, energy management systems, efficient lighting and general maintenance issues. Course is given periodically.

Solar One
Intro to Green and Green training classes: Introductory classes for property managers and supers. These include topics on building science and ways to conserve energy and water, recycle and current regulations. Green Training classes are geared toward green workforce training but are also of interest to building staff.

Materials

Enterprise Green Communities
Green Operations and Maintenance: Green Operations and Maintenance curriculum was developed to teach property owners, managers and others involved in building operations how to integrate green and healthy practices into current planning and operations.

Green Seal
Green Operations and Maintenance Manual: Green Seal and Siemens Industries developed this operations and maintenance Manual in 2011 with nine public housing authorities under ARRA funding.

Email Ariel Krasnow or Johanna Walczyk with questions about staff training.