HUD Funds $18M in Grants Towards Green Programs

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has funded an initial $18 million in grants to support energy efficiency and climate resilience in multifamily assisted housing properties as part of the Administration’s “Investing in America” agenda. 

The grants and loan commitments fulfill the department’s obligations under the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) for owners of properties participating in HUD-assisted multifamily housing programs. 

President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history—established the GRRP with more than $800 million in grant and loan subsidy funding and $4 billion in loan commitment authority. 

This represents the first HUD program to simultaneously invest in energy efficiency, renewable energy generation, climate resilience, and low carbon footprints initiatives. Initial investments were primarily geared towards affordable housing and low-income families in accordance with the administration's agenda. The first slew will help fund upgrades have gone toward 28 multifamily properties and will benefit over 3,400 units for low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities. 

“As a part of President Biden’s historic investment in climate resiliency, HUD is building a more equitable and sustainable housing system. This first wave of funding will invest in properties by making resiliency upgrades like adding solar panels, updating heating and cooling, and replacing windows,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “The Green and Resilient Retrofit Program advances our work to ensure low-income individuals and families have better access to healthy, energy efficient, and resilient homes.” 

“Today’s awards from HUD will bring the benefits of clean energy and climate resilience to hardworking American families in states across the nation,” said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. “It’s all part of the President’s Bidenomics strategy to Invest in America and grow our economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down.” 

The funding enables building owners to invest in a range of technologies, such as geothermal energy systems, heat pumps, insulation and air sealing, wind- and fire-resistant roofing, low embodied carbon materials, and other measures, that will reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions and make properties healthier and safer for residents in the face of more severe weather and  changing climate. This is the first round of GRRP awards to be released, with additional rounds to be awarded throughout 2023 and 2024. 

The grants awarded range from $192,999 to L+M Fund Management for the Revive 103 project in New York, to $750,000, which was awarded to multiple properties across the country. 

“HUD is committed to building resilient communities and reducing costs, including lowering the cost of gas and electric bills for the families we assist. We also have an obligation to address the effects of climate change,” said HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman. “HUD’s new Green and Resilient Retrofit Program does just that.” 

“Today’s awards represent this Administration’s real and ongoing commitment to address climate change and improve the lives of low-income families by making their homes safer and more sustainable,” said Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner Julia Gordon. “GRRP is a significant investment in communities that typically do not receive this type of assistance yet are often the most adversely affected by climate change.” 

Owners of properties participating in HUD’s Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance, Section 202 Supportive Housing for Low-Income Elderly, and Section 811 Supportive Housing for Low-Income Persons with Disabilities programs received grant or loan funding commitments today under the GRRP’s “Elements” award category. All the investments under the GRRP will advance environmental justice by serving low-income families in alignment with the Administration’s Justice40 initiative through strengthening their homes to be more resilient against extreme weather events and enhancing their ability to remain in their homes during the recovery from such events. 

The application process is ongoing and property owners are advised to continue submitting applications for the program here.