This toolkit was developed to provide a starting point for applying for federal grants and opportunities. It gives action steps as well as provides links for more information. While much of the information is not specific to the Midwest, there are resources that highlight Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) in EPA Region 5 (Great Lakes - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and 35 Tribes) and Region 7 (Midwest - Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and nine Tribal Nations).

Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future's (SAHF)'s case study explores learnings from Preservation of Affordable Housing's (POAH's) Salem Heights development, which electrified the HVAC system and improved the building envelope. The report shares details about the funding used and other strategies employed to make the project come together.

This article breaks down a range of standards and considerations designed to build affordable housing more sustainably. It draws on interviews with industry partners to illustrate the progress that the sector has made as well as highlights work that still needs to be done. It also features affordable housing developers who are currently making green decisions in their projects.

This post examines the work involved to incorporate decarbonization and resilience upgrades into multifamily retrofits. Industry leaders share their perspective on the considerations the affordable housing industry must keep in mind to meet this moment.

Advanced Energy Design Guide for Multifamily Buildings-Achieving Zero Energy (AEDG) is the third in the AEDG zero energy guide series. The design guide outlines strategies for achieving energy targets such as setting measurable goals, hiring design teams committed to those goals, using simulation throughout the design and construction processes and being aware of how process decisions affect energy usage. In this edition, content has been included on renovation and resiliency along with expanded guidance on hot water and high load in multifamily buildings.

New York State and New York City have enacted climate legislation with ambitious energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction targets. New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) and New York City’s Local Law 97 (LL97) impact various housing sector stakeholders, including owners, developers, renters, and financiers. Compliance will require significant investments over the next two decades, especially for high-emission buildings. While market-rate properties can finance upgrades through operating income or debt, affordable housing faces financial challenges.

Recommendations in this paper focus on strategies to make compliance more feasible and accelerate decarbonization for all housing sectors.

A case study on projected performance and the decarbonization pathways of two pre-war buildings in New York City. The report considers the benefits and challenges of electrification while supplementing with on-site energy production.

With a shifting funding landscape and unique equity considerations, affordable housing providers are seeking resources and guidance on how to best incorporate decarbonization strategies across their portfolios. This brief summary reviews the findings of Enterprise's efforts to understand how affordable housing providers are engaging with decarbonization and what is needed to advance the field. The brief makes recommendations for the development of new resources and tools.

The Massachusetts Decarbonization Hub helps owners of affordable multifamily housing interested in reducing carbon emissions from their Massachusetts properties navigate the complicated landscape of decarbonization. Created in partnership with LISC Boston and RMI, this site provides quick access to guides, resources, and funding opportunities currently available to support these projects. The Hub outlines some key steps to decarbonization, connects owners with technical providers, directs owners to the available incentive and grant funding programs, and showcases case studies of recent deep energy retrofit projects for inspiration.

State energy offices have expertise in energy and building science that can inform the technical specifications for a project, while state housing finance agencies have deep relationships with affordable housing developers and know the process required to update affordable buildings. State energy offices and state housing finance agencies can leverage their unique expertise and collaborate to meet energy efficiency and beneficial electrification goals.