Rendering courtesy of David Baker Architects
Why Safe Materials Matter in Affordable Housing
What makes a home truly safe? Is it a sturdy lock, a strong foundation, or a trip-free layout? While these are essential, many unseen health hazards lurk within building materials themselves—from toxic chemicals in flooring and insulation to harmful additives in paints and adhesives.
For years, harmful Red List chemicals have been used in everyday building products, negatively impacting indoor air quality and long-term human health. But, the affordable housing sector is stepping up to lead the shift to safer materials—proving that healthier, cost-effective alternatives are available and scalable.
In 2017, there was one singular car seat on the US market that was available without flame retardants. Many parents were excited for this development, but cautious. CBS News, with the help of Berkeley Lawrence National Laboratory, aired a demonstration where they set it on fire to prove that it was safe. As of 2022, around half of car seats no longer had flame retardants (at least 40 models available from 8 different brands), according to a study by the Ecology Center and many have eliminated the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as well. Similarly, when the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) began working with affordable housing developers in 2013 to eliminate Red List chemicals, there were only 100 Declare labels available. Fast forward to February 2025, and that number has soared to 1,543 active Declare labels, representing over 18,000 individual products. In just the last two years, the number of Declare labels has grown by 60%, reflecting the rapid expansion of healthier, non-toxic building materials in the market.
For over a decade, participants in Living Future’s Affordable Housing Program have been using the Red List and Declare to reduce toxic chemicals in their buildings, creating healthier living environments. Red List Free products disclose 100% of product ingredients plus residuals present at or above 100 ppm (0.01%) in the final product, and do not contain any Red List chemicals. Red List Approved products are considered compliant with the Living Building Challenge and have at least 99% disclosure, but rely on one or more published Exceptions and may contain Red List chemicals. Exceptions have been published for situations where chemicals of concern cannot be avoided at present. For example, Chromium VI is allowed in the plating on flush levers and commercial flush valves due to the lack of alternative plating materials currently available in the market.
As developers and architects continue to advocate for healthier materials, the market of Red List Free and Approved products continues to expand, with every year opening up more products that are feasible to include in the budget. Due to the exponential increase in healthier products, it is now very possible to build affordable housing and avoid Red List chemicals in many areas of the building without additional cost or time output. But, the knowledge of how to do this and which products to focus on is not yet nearly widespread enough. This is why Living Future launched our Safer Materials Shift last year with ten of our affordable housing partners.
Rendering courtesy of David Baker Architects
Through our collaboration with affordable housing partners, Living Future has identified a priority list of Red List Free and Approved product types that can be seamlessly integrated into most affordable housing projects. Thanks to the growing availability of healthier materials from multiple manufacturers, these products can be specified with minimal effort and without added costs.
Our goal? To make healthier, non-toxic building materials the standard, not the exception. We’re excited to share this valuable resource with the industry to help drive safer, more sustainable affordable housing for all!
Safer Materials Shift Participants:
- PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING
- MERCY HOUSING
- FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES
- TENDERLOIN NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
- FOUNDATION FOR HOMELESS AND POVERTY MANAGEMENT
- MAGNUSSON ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
- PYATOK ARCHITECTURE + URBAN DESIGN
- ARCHITECTS FORA
- DAVID BAKER ARCHITECTS
- FORGE CRAFT ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN
What is the Safer Materials Shift?
The Safer Materials Shift is an 18-month project (from the middle of 2024 until the end of 2025) to help accelerate the use of Red List Free and Approved products in the affordable housing sector. We teamed up with our partners at Housing Partnership Network and Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future to work with several of their affordable housing developer members—including Preservation of Affordable Housing, Mercy Housing, and Foundation Communities—on integrating Red List Free and Approved products more regularly in their buildings, new and existing. Other participants include previous contributors to Living Future’s Affordable Housing Program, including Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation, Magnusson Architecture and Planning, Pyatok Architecture + Urban Design, Architects Fora, and David Baker Architects. All participants are either affordable housing developers or architecture firms that are well-versed in designing affordable housing.
Rendering courtesy of Pyatok Architecture and Urban Design
In preparation for launching the Safer Materials Shift, the Living Future team analyzed materials data from previous project teams (both affordable housing and not) to determine which building materials have most often been found Red List Free or Approved at a cost that is feasible for affordable housing teams. From this research, we came up with a list of target Masterformat CSI (Construction Specification Institute) divisions for project teams.
We divided our list of products typically used in affordable housing into three categories: Type 1, Type 2, and those excluded from the scope of the Safer Materials Shift. Type 1 products represent product types that can be found Red List Free or Approved without any additional cost and with minimal research effort. Typically, this means that there are an abundance of products in this category with Declare labels and/or these product types are close to a natural form and likely, therefore, to not include Red List ingredients. Type 2 products represent product types where a number of products can and have been specified as Red List Free or Approved by affordable housing projects that we have worked with in the past. However, these product types may contain a minimal or moderate cost increase and/or may not be available in all cases. For example, many of our affordable housing project teams have been able to install Red List Free or Approved resilient flooring (most often linoleum), but we also know that this product type represents an added cost over PVC-based resilient flooring products, which contain Red List ingredients. The product types listed under Type 1 and Type 2 (as seen in the graphic below) include only the base product; if additional sealers, adhesives, paints, or coatings are added to the material, then Red List chemicals may be introduced and would need to be vetted separately.
“It’s been great to learn so much from Living Future and the Safer Materials Shift Cohort and know that the work is benefitting our members and ultimately benefitting the communities they serve.”
— Keren Alfred, Associate, Green and Healthy Communities at Housing Partnership Network
Products that do not fall into Type 1 or Type 2 categories were excluded from the research for this particular undertaking. It does not mean that it is not important to find healthier options for these types of products or that there are no options available in these categories (see our Declare marketplace for the full list of products across CSI sections) . However, these products, in most cases, represent a more difficult challenge either in terms of cost or availability and are not the best starting points for most affordable housing project teams that have limited resources.
These two categories are a simplified version of what was presented previously in the Best Practices Guide for Red List Free Affordable Housing, which was in turn, largely drawn from our Materials List for Affordable Housing. You may download both resources for free for more detailed information on CSI Masterformat Divisions, for additional step-by-step guidance on selecting healthier materials, and for our current list of Red List Free and approved materials for affordable housing.
After determining the list of Type 1 and Type 2 products, Living Future created seven pathways (called ‘steps’) for our affordable housing project teams to choose from. These do not represent a separate certification but are goals to inform the work of each organization. The steps can be seen in the chart below. They start by focusing only on Type 1 products and increasingly integrate more Type 2 products, with full (90%) Red List compliance as the final goal.
Process and Timeline
We asked that each participant commit to attending three training sessions with members of the Living Future Team that provided detailed information on the Red List and how to vet products to determine if they are Red List Free or Approved. We also required that each organization choose the Step to Red List Free (1-7) that is most appropriately ambitious for them, based on their baseline design standards. The participants also provided background information to Living Future, including the projects in scope for this analysis, team member roles, the internal process for selecting materials, and their baseline materials list. Having concluded the training sessions last year, we are now checking in with each organization quarterly. Throughout 2025, the organizations will record all of the materials they vet in a shared tracking spreadsheet that lists critical information about each product and whether they were able to use it on their project or not (and why). Each organization is committed to integrating the Shift to Safer Materials into at least one building that is currently in design; however, many are using it on multiple projects or as the framework for updating their Basis of Design with healthier products. Each organization is receiving a small stipend as a token of appreciation for sharing this information with Living Future.
Rendering courtesy of David Baker Architects
What We Hope to Accomplish
As we conclude the year and move into the next, the Living Future team will meet with each participating organization to assess their progress in adopting healthier materials. Through interviews and data analysis, we will evaluate the impact of these efforts and identify key successes and challenges.
Using insights from tracking spreadsheets and real-world implementation, we will publish a comprehensive report outlining the best first steps for integrating Red List-Free materials into affordable housing. This resource will be publicly available, ensuring that developers, architects, and industry leaders can access practical strategies to create healthier, more sustainable living environments.
The ten participants in our Safer Materials Shift cohort are demonstrating that the affordable housing sector can be a leader in healthier, more sustainable living environments. By prioritizing safer building materials, they are setting a new standard for health-conscious, high-quality housing that benefits residents and communities alike.
Join Living Future as a free member to receive our newsletter and stay updated on the Safer Materials Shift, innovative healthy building solutions, and other impactful Living Future initiatives.
