December 21, 2023

HUD: $174 Million Announced to Support Energy Efficiency and Climate Resilience for Thousands of Low-Income Households

Green and Resilient Retrofit Program grant and loan awards support improvements to HUD-assisted multifamily properties.

As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, a key pillar of Bidenomics, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced it is awarding $173.9 million in new loans and grants under the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program’s (GRRP) Comprehensive and Elements categories. The awards announced today will support energy efficiency, electrification, clean energy, low embodied carbon materials, and climate resilience improvements in 30 HUD-assisted multifamily properties that include 3,070 rental homes for low-income individuals and families. These investments will help tackle the climate crisis and support equitable economic development in American communities as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and historic environmental justice agenda. GRRP grant and loan funding announced today will improve the quality of life for residents by expanding energy efficiency, reducing climate pollution, generating renewable energy, promoting the use of green building materials, improving indoor air quality, and enhancing climate resilience.

“Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are boosting energy efficiency and combatting climate change in communities across the country,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “I am deeply proud of our HUD team for getting hundreds of millions of dollars from the President’s Inflation Reduction Act on the street through the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program. Together, we are directing these funds to the people we serve, and ensuring thousands of American families can live in more resilient, efficient, and affordable communities.”

Today’s announcement includes the first set of awards made under the GRRP’s Comprehensive category, which provides funding to properties with the highest need for climate resilience and energy efficiency upgrades. Prior energy saving retrofit and green building experience is not needed with scopes of work developed in partnership with a HUD-provided contractor, ensuring access to all owners of eligible HUD-properties. Among the 19 properties receiving Comprehensive awards, five have fewer than 50 units, seven have between 50 and 100 units, and all serve low-income residents and roughly half serve seniors. Sixteen of the properties face notable risk from climate and natural hazards such as flooding, heat waves, earthquakes, tornados, lightning, hail, severe winter weather and ice storms.

“Far too many Americans struggle to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer,” said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. “Today’s awards from the Department of Housing and Urban Development will boost the quality of life for thousands of moderate- and low-income American families by making their homes safer and more comfortable.”

The announcement also includes 11 awards under the GRRP’s Elements category. This is the second set of awards for this category, which provides funding for property owners to include climate resilience and energy and water efficiency improvements as part of a development or rehabilitation transaction that was already underway.

“As we look back on the climate- and weather-related disasters of the past few years, we see vividly how vital this funding is to ensure the long-term safety and viability of households and communities,” said Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner Julia Gordon. “Awards through the GRRP program illustrate the immediate and concrete steps that the Biden-Harris Administration is taking to protect the nation’s low-income residents and the environment.”

President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history—established the GRRP, providing more than $800 million in grant funding and $4 billion in loan commitment authority. Investments under the GRRP will advance environmental justice by serving low-income families as part of President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Retrofitting these homes will make them more resilient to extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent due to climate change and enhance the ability of residents and owners to better cope with and recover from such events.

See here for the full list of grantees.

Green and Resilient Retrofit Program Comprehensive Round One Awards 

AwardeeCity, StateProperty NameAward AmountAward Type
Wesley LivingJonesboro, ARWesley on the Ridge$2,960,000Grant
JM InvestmentAlturas, CAAlturas Gardens$5,120,000Grant
Fairstead CapitalMayfield, KYMayfield Plaza Apartments$7,360,000Grant
Hebrew SeniorLifeRevere, MAJack Satter House$20,000,000Grant
Jonathan Rose Companies, IncSt. Louis, MOCouncil Tower$18,160,000Grant
HW DevelopmentHobbs, NMFour Seasons Apartments$6,400,000Loan
ConiferLiberty, NYBarkley Gardens Apartments$4,080,000Loan
POAHCincinnati, OHTerri Manor (Terri Estates)$6,480,000Loan
HumanGoodPhiladelphia, PARiverside Presbyterian Apartments$12,080,000Grant
HumanGoodPhiladelphia, PASouth Philadelphia Presbyterian Apartments / Jackson Place$5,280,000Grant
HumanGoodPhiladelphia, PATioga Presbyterian Apartments$9,120,000Grant
Wesley LivingAdamsville, TNWesley at Adamsville$2,000,000Grant
Wesley LivingDyersburg, TNWesley Hills Dyersburg$1,840,000Grant
Wesley LivingHumboldt, TNSt Matthew Manor$3,200,000Grant
Wesley LivingMartin, TNWesley At Martin$3,200,000Grant
Exotic Meson StatesJasper, TXHope Village Apartments$7,040,000Grant
ITEXPort Arthur, TXCrystal Creek$16,160,000Loan
ITEXPort Arthur, TXCedar Ridge$16,000,000Loan
ITEXPort Arthur, TXHeatherbrook$20,000,000Loan


Green and Resilient Retrofit Program Elements Round Two Awards 

AwardeeCity, StateProperty NameAward AmountAward Type
Standard CommunitiesWashington, DCTrinity Towers Apartments$750,000Loan
Redwood HousingAugusta, GARichmond Summit$750,000Grant
American Community Developers (ACD)Junction City, KSGreen Park Apartments$750,000Grant
Wollaston Lutheran ChurchQuincy, MABauer House$750,000Grant
Sunrise OpportunitiesCalais, MESt. Croix Apartments$231,623Grant
BLVD GroupConcord, NHConcord Gardens$750,000Grant
Lemor Development Group, LLCNew York, NYAbyssinian Towers$749,101Grant
Housing Preservation Inc./Silver Tree ResidentialCenterville, TNTulipwood Apartments$750,000Grant
Housing Preservation Inc./Silver Tree ResidentialGallatin, TNChristian Towers of Gallatin$750,000Grant
Housing Preservation Inc./Silver Tree ResidentialFort Worth, TXMollie and Max Barnett Apartments$625,502Grant
Wisconsin Housing Preservation CorpWaukesha, WIEast Terrace Apartments$582,887Grant


About GRRP

GRRP is the first HUD program to simultaneously invest in energy efficiency, renewable energy generation, climate resilience, and low embodied carbon materials in HUD-assisted multifamily housing. Investments under the program will be made in affordable housing communities serving low-income families under Bidenomics—President Biden’s agenda for building the American economy from the middle out and the bottom up.

The GRRP Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and additional guidance detail the multiple funding options for which property owners may apply:

Property owners are encouraged to continue to submit applications for grant awards or loans in any of the three categories. HUD is reviewing applications under one category each month for the duration of funding availability. HUD expects to announce awards regularly throughout 2024.

The Inflation Reduction Act also established HUD’s Energy and Water Benchmarking Service, available now for properties receiving rental assistance from its Multifamily project-based programs. This new, free service provides participating multifamily property owners with data on energy and water consumption at their properties to aid in identifying opportunities to improve efficiency. Property owners can also use the Energy and Water Benchmarking information to assess rehabilitation efforts that may be eligible for grant or loan funding under the GRRP or other sources of funding.

This post was originally published here.