The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is the largest not-for-profit provider of senior care and services in the United States. With locations across 24 states, the Society is honored that more than 27,000 people of all beliefs and faiths call it home. The Society was founded in 1922, providing service lines of rehab/skilled care, senior living, home & community based services, and affordable housing. The Society’s affordable housing portfolio of over 1,300 units are included in the Better Buildings Challenge as the Society strives to reduce energy consumption and operating costs in an effort to ensure the affordability of these units.

The Better Buildings Challenge supplements Good Samaritan’s existing commitment under the Big Reach, an initiative by the members of Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF). SAHF’s eleven members, representing nearly 100,000 units, are each committing to reducing portfolio wide energy consumption 20% by 2020, using a 2010 baseline. The initiative focuses on integrating energy efficiency into all aspects of our affordable housing development and operations. The Big Reach uses a flexible variety of energy savings “pathways” to achieve the reduction goal. We will use these same pathways – improved operations and maintenance, resident engagement, appliance and equipment upgrades, multiple approaches to whole building retrofits, and use of renewable energy – to meet our commitment under the Better Buildings Challenge.