A project site is located in a Federal Empowerment Zone What Is also needed to...

For a project located in a Federal Empowerment Zone to qualify for the Smart Location and Linkage Credit under Preferred Locations Option 3: Designated High-Priority Locations, the project must also meet certain affordability criteria. Specifically, providing at least 10% of total rental units priced at or below 60% of the area median income (AMI) aligns with the requirements for achieving this credit. This ensures that the development supports affordable housing in addition to being located in a high-priority area.

References:

LEED v4 Neighborhood Development Guide: Details the requirements for Designated High-Priority Locations, including the criteria related to affordable housing (USGBC, LEED v4 Neighborhood Development Current Version).

LEED Reference Guide for Neighborhood Development: Offers guidance on how to achieve the Preferred Locations credit by meeting affordability thresholds (USGBC, LEED Reference Guide for Neighborhood Development).