Based on the results of its third annual Sustainable Living Index, multifamily developer AMLI Residential has determined that residents of its communities are becoming more concerned about climate change and invested in sustainable living practices—an attitude the company expects will intensify over time.
According to the survey, nearly 89% of AMLI residents are concerned about climate change, and more than 70% said their desire to find a solution has increased over the last five years. More millennials reported feeling concerned about climate change than any other group, followed by Gen X, Gen Z, and baby boomers.
Eighty percent of residents said they believe living in a green apartment is beneficial to their health, and more than 61% said they would be willing to pay more for a sustainable community. (Millennials were the most inclined to pay more for green features, while baby boomers were the least.)
“This year’s survey demonstrates that AMLI’s residents are increasingly concerned about climate change and the long-term effects of environmental issues,” says Phil Tague, president of AMLI Residential. “Our residents are conscious of how their lifestyle at our communities affects the environment and their health. Knowing how attitudes and behavior differ among our residents from generation to generation enables us to better provide the sustainable lifestyle our residents want and the tools to reduce their carbon footprint.”
The Sustainable Living Index data is drawn from a survey of more than 3,500 AMLI Residential apartment residents in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Seattle, Southern California, and southeast Florida. AMLI intends to use the results of its surveys to guide the expansion of its sustainability efforts across its apartment communities.
“AMLI prioritizes sustainable practices that are pragmatic and achievable to make sure we provide what is important to each resident. AMLI trains its employees in green practices to provide better service to our residents, our neighborhoods, and fellow AMLI colleagues,” Tague adds. “Our communities use resources more efficiently, which allows residents to live more sustainably every day.”
The developer has committed to construct all of its communities to LEED Silver certification standards since 2006 and recently achieved the milestone of increasing its LEED-certified portfolio share to more than 50%. Of its 61 communities, 36 are LEED certified, and eight of those have earned LEED Platinum. Twenty-nine of AMLI’s communities are also Energy Star certified.
AMLI recently received the U.S. Green Building Council’s 2018 LEED Homes Power Builder for the fourth year running, as well as the 2019 Energy Star Partner of the Year award.
“The clear message we took from the survey is that AMLI is on the right path by providing more sustainable lifestyles at our communities, and our residents want us to strengthen that commitment even more,” Tague says.
