With unprecedented federal funding available for new sustainable energy projects, NeighborWorks America wants to make sure that nonprofit affordable housing and community development practitioners remain on the leading edge. That means offering training courses that will give affordable developers the foundation they need to foster safer, more energy-efficient and sustainable homes. It also means providing technical support to network organizations seeking to build or to rebuild properties in this arena.
To meet these needs, NeighborWorks is partnering with Jared Lang and his company, Housing Sustainability Advisors, Lang has already provided technical support to a cohort of NeighborWorks network organizations. He will be teaching one of two climate-related courses at the upcoming NeighborWorks Training Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The institute will be h Aug. 26-30.
"There's a lot of confusion in the industry about how incentives work, how eligibility works and about what opportunities can be layered together," explains Lang, who will be teaching "Multifamily Clean Energy Investment Playbook." "But developers are always thinking about how to cobble together resources to cover as much of a project as they can. That's the synergy of this class. We're going to talk about the tools in the toolbox for affordable housing developers to do energy work – focusing on the strategies that generate the strongest return on investment and the most carbon reduction."
In the United States, the building industry makes up 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Of those emissions, about 80% stem from HVAC and water heating, Lang says. "That means we have a significant role to play in the carbon reduction landscape."
While the for-profit industry can raise rents to cover the up-front costs of energy sustainability programs, that's not an option for those who work in affordable housing. "In affordable housing, we need grants and tax credits to be able to afford our energy upgrades."
The funding that's available now can help make a difference, Lang says. "Affordable housing developers are the developers who can do it. They're used to this. They're innovative. They take these jobs to build meaningful housing. If you want to meet the people who are doing the most innovative things in housing, go to an affordable housing conference."
Lang says that private developers have already been tapping into the federal funding. He's hoping that the course at the NTI will ready more nonprofit developers to invest the time and resources into moving forward with energy investments. The course will help nonprofits understand the risks, the opportunities and rewards.
As an example, Lang points to solar energy opportunities. At one time, he only worked with people from states where there were both federal and solar incentives available to cover costs. Today, he is working with people in states he'd never imagined, such as Michigan, Wyoming, and Georgia, because there are enough federal dollars available to offset projects. "We're moving into states where we've never been before. If you're in a state where you tried to do this before and it didn't work, you really need to look again. We can make solar a good investment."
The class will look at the financial reasons to pursue solar and the ways to fund it. Participants will also examine how to combine sustainability projects with the low-income housing tax credit program to cover costs. "We'll talk about how to finance energy projects," Lang says. "We'll talk about universal strategies that they can apply to their own unique situations."
Why should nonprofits be placing sustainability high on their priority list? In addition to helping the planet, "the case for cleaner, healthier, more resilient housing makes a ton of sense," says Cormac Molloy, senior manager of Training Programs at NeighborWorks America. The practices that combat climate stress "can also result in significantly lower utility bills for residents who are already dealing with financial stress." Solar energy is just one example. And the federal boost, he says, can make a big difference for nonprofit developers. "Put all together, these savings add up," Molloy says.
The climate courses fit seamlessly with NeighborWorks' premiere, industry-leading training. "As we observe our 45th anniversary, we're looking to the future," Molloy says. "Climate stewardship is a part of that. … It's important for NeighborWorks to be in this space to save clients money, to provide healthier homes, and to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime investment in affordable housing and community development."
And if we can save money in this area, adds Lang, "that's money we can use it for other things, including building better – and more – affordable housing."
Learn more about Lang's course! "Multifamily Clean Energy Investment Playbook." NeighborWorks is also offering the course, "Climate Mitigation: A Toolkit for Community Developers."
07/19/2024
