Tapping Grants, Loans, and Incentives to Cut Project Costs

by Ravi Malhotra How should the multifamily affordable housing market ensure it maximizes its benefits from the various federal, state, and local government resources on offer? Government programs typically do not consider or emphasize strategic and meaningful leveraging and collaboration with other programs, much less provide valuable guidance to do so. The lack of coordination within and between agencies and …

Energy storage

TBL Fund Announcing New Bridge Loan Product to Facilitate Green Projects

Originally published on tblfund.org The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has created a wealth of opportunities to scale green solutions like heat pumps, solar, energy storage, and weatherization in underserved communities. To pursue holistic clean energy solutions, stakeholders can access tax credits, grants, and other incentives. Triple Bottom Line Foundation’s (TBL Fund) focus is serving indigenous communities and multifamily affordable housing …

Renewable or clean energy generation prices and costs, financial concept : Green eco-friendly symbols atop coin stacks e.g. energy efficient light bulb, a battery, a solar cell panel, a wind turbine.

Clean Energy Financing Insights – Why Green Retrofits Offer Better Bang for the Buck

It is understandably challenging for cost-constrained multifamily affordable housing (MFAH) property owners and managers to spend their carefully budgeted dollars on unfamiliar green tech (e.g., heat pump-based HVAC) vs. familiar technologies with lower upfront costs. While “going green” can be expensive, traditional or “business as usual” retrofits have limited benefits. They may solve an immediate problem (e.g., addressing/replacing failed HVAC …

Person figuring costs on keyboard and calculator

Accessing Federal and Utility Incentives for Green Projects

By Ravi Malhotra / NH&RA Issue: April 2023 The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provided the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) $3.2 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). This is on top of the ongoing ~$1.6 billion allocation (the standard WAP allocation independent of the BIL money for WAP) over the next five years. The BIL funds allow for some …

Multifamily housing building

Green Retrofits Signal the Future in Cities’ Push Towards Decarbonization

Green Retrofits Signal the Future in Cities’ Push Towards Decarbonization By Abram Mamet / NH&RA April 2023 Green Retrofitting in Practice  Well-considered and meaningfully executed retrofits have become increasingly important as communities across the country seek out effective climate resilience strategies. States like Massachusetts, New York, Illinois and Pennsylvania are at the forefront of that movement, having each enacted legislation or …

heat pumps at multifamily building

How Do We Move WAP Funding Into Multifamily Affordable Housing? 

How Do We Move WAP Funding Into Multifamily Affordable Housing?  By Ravi Malhotra / Issue: October 2022 National Housing & Rehabilitation Association The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provided $3.5 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP); a ten-times increase that is to be spent in the next five years. This is on top of the regular WAP funds the states receive annually. As explained …