Commerce seeking members for new Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard Update Team

Help shape the future of sustainable development in Washington! Apply by Sept. 29

The Washington State Department of Commerce is seeking approximately 20 interested individuals to participate in updating the Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard (ESDS). The goal is to assemble a team that represents public funders, developers, design organizations, property managers, and property residents.

Those interested in joining the ESDS Update Team should apply by Monday, Sept. 29.

What is ESDS?

Beginning in 2008, ESDS established requirements that ensure that publicly funded affordable housing projects contribute positively to residents’ quality of life, conserve our limited natural resources, and are designed for long term functionality. As technologies, housing needs, and market forces evolve, so does the Standard. Commerce seeks interested individuals to help create an updated vision for the standard as members of the ESDS advisory group.

The intent for the ESDS Update Team is planning a broad update to the Evergreen standard, resulting in ESDS v5.0, with an anticipated publication date in spring 2027. This timeframe will allow prospective applicants to incorporate the new standards in their materials and projects in time for application to the fall 2027 funding round.

Team membership

We are looking for people with a strong interest in sustainable development, particularly as it is used in affordable housing, and who feel comfortable consulting on the diverse criteria in the ESDS, or sharing their experiences living in housing constructed using these standards. However, we are also looking for individuals with daily experience interacting with elements of the built environment covered by ESDS, such as maintenance professionals and tenants. No one member will be expected to have experience in all the areas covered by ESDS, but membership decisions will be based on maintaining a balance. Decisions will also in part be based on stakeholder representation (multifamily versus homeownership, rural versus urban, architect versus property manager, etc.), as ESDS applies to projects of widely different sizes, locations, and program models, and the outcomes resulting from ESDS development are experienced by individuals and households over a long time.

Activities/responsibilities for ESDS Advisory Team Members

• Revision of the Standard. Help Commerce determine the content of ESDS v5.0, and policies related to its implementation (such as applicability and verification procedures). A series of meetings will be held over Zoom or Teams. Additional discussions will likely occur over email.
• Technical Assistance. Assist the Evergreen Standard Manager with emergent technical questions as subject matter experts (SMEs), as they are presented by developers and their subcontractors. This may take place via phone or email as appropriate.

Terms of membership

This effort is estimated to take approximately one year, with a monthly commitment of two to three hours. However, given the breadth of topics covered by ESDS, it is assumed that individual committee members’ actual participation will fluctuate. The project is currently planned to begin with a kickoff meeting around Oct. 20, and culminate with the publication of ESDS v5.0 in early 2027.

Team members may be asked to reconvene after the release of v5.0 to assess implementation of the new version or to discuss clarification of criteria as necessary. Past membership of the ESDS Advisory Team is not a requirement, nor is it an exclusionary factor (that is, there are no term limits).

How to apply

Please complete the linked application by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 29.

Successful applicants will receive notifications on or about Monday, October 13.

Proposed schedule

Visit our Box site for a full timeline of milestones for this effort.

Questions? Please contact Sean Harrington at Sean.Harrington@commerce.wa.gov.