New and Improved Energy Efficiency Programs

Two critical barriers that prevent multifamily affordable housing owners from getting the most out of available efficiency programs are programs that are often not well-designed leading to unintended obstacles in participation or the achievement of deeper efficiency savings, and the fact that affordable housing owners face many competing priorities for their time and have limited bandwidth to dedicate to program participation.

The Energy Efficiency for All (EEFA) Initiative and Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF) have teamed up to tackle both barriers. Since 2013, EEFA has been advocating for more and better efficiency programs to serve multifamily affordable housing and has secured nearly $500M in estimated and confirmed additional funding along with new programs and program design improvements of existing programs. In 2018, SAHF and EEFA compiled descriptions of 19 programs in 10 states to ensure owners are informed about these new and improved programs. The descriptions include critical information that owners need to effectively use the programs to decrease their operating costs and reduce the energy burdens of their residents. The descriptions demonstrate the value of these programs and make it easy for owners to participate by providing practical information on eligibility, energy efficiency measures, and accessible step-by-step instructions on how to these programs can support capital improvements and result in better building performance.