The Funding Navigator provides a listing of funding opportunities under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and others across federal agencies to support efforts to enhance climate resiliency, energy efficiency, renewable energy integration, healthy housing, workforce development, and environmental justice in HUD supported communities, programs, and properties. Find open and upcoming opportunities, including funding status and where to apply, for funds to implement projects that reduce energy use and strengthen resiliency in communities.

Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s “direct pay” provisions, tax-exempt and governmental entities will, for the first time, be able to receive a payment equal to the full value of tax credits for building qualifying clean energy projects. This explainer details who is eligible for direct pay and its benefits.

This blog post details the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) finalization of Part 1 of a national zero emissions building definition, emphasizing operational carbon emissions. This definition outlines three key criteria for buildings: energy efficiency, no on-site emissions, and the use of all-clean power sources. It aims to enhance public health, lower energy costs, and protect the climate. The post highlights the positive industry and advocate reactions, notes the importance of addressing embodied carbon in future updates, and explains how new and retrofitted homes can meet the definition. It emphasizes the economic feasibility and investment potential in zero-emission buildings and outlines steps for builders to achieve compliance.

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.

This report showcases how cities in the US can implement building decarbonization policies and programs in an equitable manner while also incorporating a broader set of community priorities and needs in the development, delivery, and outcomes of the program. The paper also presents case study examples from cities in the United States that have implemented community-driven buildings retrofit programs and highlights learnings from their programs for other cities.

Focusing on benefits to residents, the Driving toward the Greater Good white paper documents the benefits that accrue from different types of building upgrades and puts forward a framework for incorporating those benefits into retrofit decision making.

Focusing on benefits to residents, the Driving toward the Greater Good white paper documents the benefits that accrue from different types of building upgrades and puts forward a framework for incorporating those benefits into retrofit decision making.

Many of the programs that offer funding for efficient, climate-resilient affordable housing through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) have reached important turning points. Read on for the latest updates on available funding. Note upcoming application deadlines, strategize how to best leverage available tax credits, and mark your calendars to connect with upcoming funding opportunities.

To deliver effective, more affordable retrofits, residents need to combine (i.e., stack) as many incentives as they qualify for and access them in an efficient, user-friendly manner. Between IRA-funded and existing home energy retrofit programs, it can be difficult for households and contractors to find and access numerous incentives. To help program administrators and key stakeholders find critical resources, RMI developed a single webpage that features stacking guidance across federal programs and national best practice reports. The stacking hub will be updated as new resources and guidance documents are released.

Through a series of workshops in key cities, including Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York, Atlanta, Sacramento, and D.C., RMI and Wells Fargo partnered to address decarbonizing affordable housing in high-energy burdened markets nationwide. These workshops fostered collaboration among stakeholders, resulting in the development of this comprehensive toolkit. The toolkit equips stakeholders with the necessary resources to optimize the deployment of policies and financing tools, address major capital improvement needs, spur green job growth, and prioritize tenant protections. The resource spotlights current challenges stakeholders face across various markets, and more importantly underscores the collective determination to forge a more prosperous and sustainable future across the nationwide affordable housing stock.