Originally published in the California Adaptation Forum, April 19, 2018 Californians have suffered a devastating year of climate change impacts, ranging from wildfires to deadly heat waves. In communities where extreme heat is becoming the norm, rising energy costs threaten the health of children and seniors as families struggle to pay their utility bills. Low-income Californians pay the highest percentage Read More
Low-income renters will get a break in their electricity bills—and a foot in the door to California’s clean energy economy—thanks to the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program. Under a proposal recently approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, the program will create incentives for rooftop solar installations that benefit tenants at multifamily affordable rental housing properties. It will Read More
Last month, 20 nonprofit developers joined a California Housing Partnership Corporation (CHPC) Green Rental Home Energy Efficiency Network (GREEN) “Talk” to learn the basics of solar financing, and hear from other developers who are actually using these financing tools. Panelists for the talk included solar experts from GRID Alternatives, and three developers—Mercy Housing, Eden Housing, and National Housing Trust—who provided Read More
Good news – the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) finally released its Proposed Decision to implement Assembly Bill 693 creating the $1 billion Solar on Multifamily Affordable Homes (SOMAH) program for affordable rental properties located in investor-owned utility territories! As a reminder, the CPUC is in the process of establishing guidelines for the SOMAH program, which will provide up to $100 million in Read More
CHPC’s water affordability initiative works to increase access to water conservation resources for the nonprofit multifamily affordable rental housing owners and the lower-income tenants they serve in California. Below is the fifth in a series of reports on leaders, best practices, and emerging trends in water conservation for affordable housing. Finding ways to pay for energy efficiency and water Read More
CHPC’s water affordability initiative works to increase access to water conservation resources for the nonprofit multifamily affordable rental housing sector in California. Below is the fourth article in a GREEN series focused on leaders, best practices, and emerging trends for water conservation in affordable housing. GREEN members are responding to the drought. These are their stories. Laundry facilities are the Read More
CHPC’s water affordability initiative works to increase access to water conservation resources for the nonprofit multifamily affordable rental housing sector in California. Below is the third article in a GREEN series focused on leaders, best practices, and emerging trends for water conservation in affordable housing. GREEN members are responding to the drought. These are their stories. Los Angeles Department of Water and Read More
Consistent access to energy usage data is a transformative tool for reducing energy consumption at multifamily properties. Data enables building owners to target the most cost efficient energy upgrades and ensure the long-term sustainability and affordability of properties. Further, benchmarking is often a prerequisite for participating in federal and state energy efficiency and renewable incentive programs in order to establish Read More
On December 14, 2016, the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved the SB 350 Barriers Study mandated by Senate Bill 350 to address barriers for low-income households and disadvantaged communities to participate in energy efficiency and renewables opportunities. The purpose of the study is to identify how new legislation and joint agency efforts can establish transformative goals and policies to enable all Read More
Sixty leaders from housing, energy, environmental, and workforce development organizations gathered in Los Angeles and San Francisco this month to help the California Housing Partnership’s Green Rental home Energy Efficiency Network (GREEN), Natural Resources Defense Council, and Energy Efficiency for All (EEFA) partners set priorities for our collective energy efficiency, water and renewable energy work in California for 2017. In Read More