As part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, HUD announces new awards under the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program to combat the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and modernize affordable housing
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced more than $142 million in new grant and loan awards under its Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP), bringing the total funding awarded under this program to more than $754 million. These grants and loans from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act will support significant energy efficiency and climate resilience renovations in more than 2,200 homes at properties housing low-income individuals, families, and seniors. This round of awards includes the first GRRP awards being made for properties in Puerto Rico and Louisiana. The funding announced today will improve the quality of life for residents by improving indoor air quality and by making their homes more resilient to climate hazards. These awards will also increase energy and water efficiency, generate renewable energy, and improve the quality of life for residents of affordable housing. They will also reduce climate pollution and promote the use of green building materials at these properties. HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman announced this new funding today in her remarks at the National Leased Housing Association Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has placed a priority on improving housing and boosting energy and climate resilience. Today’s announcement provides funding to carry out both goals,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “These investments will reduce costs and improve the living conditions of the families who live in these homes.”
“These awards represent not just our ongoing commitment to improving the health and safety of the homes for low-income families, but the power of partnerships that use federal funding made available through President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act combined with private resources to combat climate change and promote energy efficiency,” said Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner Julia Gordon.
All of the investments announced today will advance environmental justice in line with the President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Retrofitting these homes will reduce their carbon emissions, make them more resilient to extreme weather events, and advance the President’s housing and clean energy agenda, ensuring affordable housing stays affordable for residents and building owners across the nation.
The grants and loans announced today are the third set of awards made under the GRRP’s Comprehensive category, which provides funding to properties with the highest need for climate resilience and utility efficiency upgrades. Of the 17 properties receiving Comprehensive awards today 14 are properties participating in the HUD Section 8 project-based rental assistance program for low-income individuals and families and three properties are participating in HUD’s Section 202 project-based rental assistance program for low-income seniors. Four properties have more than 200 units, five properties have between 51-200 units, and eight properties have 50 or fewer units.
President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history—established the GRRP in 2022 to fund energy efficiency and resiliency improvements for HUD’s assisted rental portfolio.
FACT SHEET: Green and Resilient Retrofit Program Progress to Date
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. All of the investments under the GRRP will be made in affordable housing communities serving low-income families, directly benefiting HUD-assisted housing, in alignment with the Justice40 Initiative.
As of June 25, 2024, GRRP funding has been awarded to 139 properties and more than 16,400 rental homes, to make them greener, healthier, and safer for low-income households, seniors, and persons with disabilities. The projects span the range from targeted upgrades to major net-zero renovation for properties in 39 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
As of June 25, 2024, HUD has awarded more than $754 million in grants and surplus cash loans under the GRRP; $383.5 million in grants and $370.9 million in surplus cash loans.
Of the awardees receiving grants and loans in seven rounds of funding, 114 are properties receiving Multifamily Section 8 project-based rental assistance, 24 properties are receiving Section 202 project-based rental assistance for low-income seniors, and one is receiving Section 811 project-based rental assistance for low-income persons with disabilities.
GRRP funding is being used for insulation, energy efficient windows and doors, heat-resistant roofs, energy efficient heating and cooling, resiliency measures and other improvements.
GRRP is designed to work for properties of all sizes, and with a range of energy efficiency and climate resilience needs. More than 20 properties receiving grant and loan awards have fewer than 50 units, some 77 properties have between 50 and 100 units, while 17 have more than 200 units.
More than 800 properties have also signed up for HUD’s free energy and water benchmarking service, funded with more than $40 million from the President’s Inflation Reduction Act, so that HUD-assisted housing property owners can better understand the energy and water consumption at their properties in relation to other similar properties. This benchmarking information can in turn be used to assess energy efficiency and water conservation upgrades that can be funded under the GRRP.
Green and Resilient Retrofit Program Background Detail
The GRRP Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and additional guidance detail the multiple funding options for which property owners may apply:
Elements provides funding to owners for proven and meaningful climate resilience and utility efficiency measures in projects that are already in the process of being recapitalized.
Leading Edge provides funding to owners with plans for ambitious retrofit activities to achieve zero energy retrofits and an advanced green certification.
Comprehensive provides funding to properties with the highest need for climate resilience and utility efficiency upgrades, regardless of prior development or environmental retrofit experience.
Green and Resilient Retrofit Program Comprehensive 3Awards
June 25, 2024
Property Name
City
State
Award Amount
Awardee
Castlewood Terrace
Granada Hills
CA
$5,440,000
Castlewood Terrace, LP
The Towers at Tower Lane
New Haven
CT
$20,000,000
The New Haven Jewish Community Housing Corporation
Southwood Square Phase III
Stamford
CT
$2,720,000
Southfield Village Limited Partnership III
New Horizons Apartments
Miami
FL
$8,080,000
New Horizons Preservation Associates LLLP
Alexander- Harvey Homes (formerly Wesly Plazza)
Baton Rouge
LA
$16,000,000
Alexander Harvey Apartments LLC
Highland Acres Apartments
Carthage
MO
$2,800,000
Highland Acres Associates-I, L.P.
Summit Terrace
Doniphan
MO
$2,880,000
National Church Residences of Missouri
Southview
Dickinson
ND
$2,400,000
Pleasant Valley Southview Apartments, LP
Marcus Garvey Village
Brooklyn
NY
$20,000,000
Marcus Garvey Preservation LLC
Eastland Manor
Columbus
OH
$16,080,000
Eastland Manor Apartments LLC
Caritas Plaza (St. Vincent DePaul Emanuel Plaza)
Portland
OR
$2,400,000
Caritas Plaza, Inc. (St. Vincent DePaul Emanuel Plaza)
Torre Jesus Sanchez Erazo
Bayamon
PR
$8,000,000
Bayamon Senior Citizen Housing Company, Inc
Good Samartitan Village
Camden
TN
$3,200,000
Good Samaritan Village, Inc.
Fox Hollow Community
Covington
TN
$3,200,000
United Church Residences of Covington, Tennessee, Inc.
Langley Square II Apts
Hampton
VA
$20,000,000
Langley Apartments LLC
Tamarack Apartments
Bremerton
WA
$6,640,000
Housing Authority of the City of Bremerton
Ferndale Square
Ferndale
WA
$2,400,000
Intercommunity Housing Ferndale