This study arises from a Spring 2010 one semester graduate class — Urban Sustainability and Renewable Energy Applications for Low Income Colonia Housing in the Southern US. Directed by Dr. Peter M. Ward, the seminar sought to provide a set of recommendations for sustainable housing rehabilitation in low-income and self-help settlements in Latin American and in the USA. Specifically, we wanted to expand our understanding of sustainable housing applications by considering not just the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy, but also the broader arenas of social, juridical and fiscal sustainability that may contribute to the adoption of policies related to ‘green’ housing and self help both the for the USA as well as for the Latin American Housing Network (LAHN).

It comes in three sections (all accessible below): 1) An executive summary 2) The full report and 3) a series of appendices which contain technical data relating to the particular sustainable housing applications in the spheres of energy; water and wastewater; and solid waste disposal; and micro scale environmental management (yard and lot).

Copyright is held by Dr. Peter Ward on behalf of the LBJ School and the graduate students who were involved in the studies.

Citations or reference to this report should be as follows: LBJ School of Public Affairs. 2010. “Urban Sustainability and Renewable Energy Applications for Colonia-Type Housing in the Southern US” Final Report prepared by Peter M. Ward, Esther Sullivan and graduate students.