LeadingAge in a November 11 letter to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) applauded the agency for its recognition of solar energy as a critical renewable energy source for the affordable housing portfolio and shared feedback on a draft proposal to establish and centralize the approval process for certain HUD-assisted properties to engage in rooftop solar leases that provide on-site solar energy.  The letter stressed the importance of financial feasibility for affordable housing communities interested in installing rooftop solar and urged the creation of incentives for owners and benefits for residents. Finally, we urge HUD to establish a centralized approval process instead of the proposed decentralized process, which LeadingAge members worried would slow down the process and create inconsistencies. The letter is available here, and HUD’s draft Notice is available here.

Following its July 2024 extreme weather briefing and mid-September White House summit, the Biden Administration last month announced an extreme heat call to action that included a draft Extreme Heat Community Checklist to help municipalities, towns, and tribal organizations prepare for and respond to extreme heat events.

LeadingAge responded to the checklist’s 30-day public comment period on October 15, 2024. In our comments, LeadingAge underscores the need to consider and consult older adults, and the providers who serve them,  as “key partners” in driving community safety and resilience, including related to extreme heat, and urges the administration to take better account of older adults’ needs and their vulnerabilities to heat. More info here.

The Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program, administered by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of the Treasury, promotes cost-saving solar or wind investments in low income communities as part of affordable housing developments, and for projects that benefit low income households. The standard Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit (ITC) provides HUD multifamily owners with a base credit of up to 30% of the cost of a renewable energy project. For qualifying projects, the Low-Income Communities Bonus, created through the Inflation Reduction Act, can add up to 20 percentage points to the base credit, funding up to 50% of a project. If a project qualifies for additional ITC bonuses, up to 70% of the solar facility costs can be funded. Earlier this year, HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing Programs launched a new series of recordings to help owners of HUD-assisted multifamily housing properties and other stakeholders apply for this credit under Category 3 (Qualified Low-Income Residential Project), as most HUD-assisted and public housing are considered eligible covered housing under Category 3 in the 2024 Program Year.  The week of September 30, DOE and Treasury announced upcoming application cut-off dates for Program Year 2024. Questions related to this program can be sent to assetmanagementpolicy@hud.gov with the word ‘SOLAR’ in the subject line.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development on June 25 announced the latest round of funding awards for the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP), including millions in funding awards to LeadingAge housing provider members. LeadingAge is a strong supporter of HUD’s green grants and loans program, which has now awarded more than $754 million for energy efficiency and climate resilience retrofits impacting more than 16,400 rental homes across HUD’s Multifamily Housing portfolio.

The June 25 announcement represents the third set of funding awards under HUD’s “Comprehensive” GRRP cohort, which provides funding to highest need properties. Three of the 17 properties awarded in this round (and 24 of 139 properties awarded overall) participate in HUD’s Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program. Congratulations to the New Haven Jewish Community Housing Corporation and National Church Residences.

The final GRRP application window closes July 31 for Elements Awards, which can provide up to $750k per property or $40k per unit for added elements like high-efficiency windows and rooftop solar panels, in a recapitalization transaction that is already underway. More information here.

On June 21, HUD joined more than 20 federal agencies to release its updated Climate Adaptation Plan. In the plan, HUD establishes protocols to integrate climate resilience into funding opportunities, such as climate change preference points in Notices of Funding Opportunty.

Across federal agencies, the plan builds on the initial release in 2021 and projects goals for 2024-2027, including better assessing exposure of assets to climate related hazards, expanding operational focus on managing climate risk, and adopting common progress indicators with other federal agencies to better assess climate adaptation efforts.

The White House Climate Adaptation Fact Sheet is available here.

According to HUD, more than 800 properties have signed up for the agency’s free energy and water benchmarking service, which allows HUD-assisted housing property owners to better understand the energy and water consumption at their properties in relation to other similar properties.

LeadingAge supported the program roll out and urges members to sign up early for the four-year program.

Energy and Water Benchmarking information from HUD, provided during a LeadingAge housing call in is available here.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced its first actions to address extreme heat in affordable housing properties on April 23. The agency established an internal working group to improve resilience to extreme heat; HUD also published a “Quick Guide for Extreme Heat” and launched a centralized library of technical assistance resources.

According to HUD, the world recorded the warmest year on record in 2023. Across the United States, heat records were broken, including Phoenix, Arizona experiencing 31 consecutive days above 110°F, and Chicago, Illinois reaching a heat index of 120°F. Many affordable senior housing communities lack the resources they need to address extreme heat impacts on older adult residents.

On October 23, 2023, LeadingAge hosted a virtual session on the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) for HUD-assisted housing providers. The call featured LeadingAge members who have received awards, HUD staff leading program implementation, and LeadingAge business partners who can assist with GRRP applications.