The "Green Building Ordinance" in Hayward, CA will require new home construction, as well as significant additions to both residential and commercial properties, to achieve a GreenPoint Rating.

Hayward, in the East Bay, is poised to join nearby towns Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Livermore and Pleasanton (as well as a growing number of municipalities in other states) by mandating green building and sustainable development for residential and commercial buildings.

The GreenPoint system is operated by Build It Green, a professional non-profit organization, whose mission is to promote healthy, energy and resource-efficient buildings in California. "GreenPointRated" is a rating system that, similar to the USGBC's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), requires earning points or credits in categories of sustainability... in this case energy efficiency, resource conservation, indoor air quality, water conservation and community.

To become GreenPoint Rated, residential properties must meet minimum requirements in each category and score at least 50 points total.

According to a reports by CoStar, the Leonardo Institute and others, the costs associated with green-building techniques do not significantly increase the cost of construction when compared to non green-building approaches. Points/credits typically vary in cost with some claiming a premium for investment. The majority of points/credits are considered affordable.