In This Issue:
Key Announcements
BBC MF Partner Mercy Housing Wins NAA's ROE Award
Spotlight on Partner Successes
Key Announcements
- Join your BBC MF Sector peers on the BBC MF Housing Quarterly Open Call on Thursday, July 12th at 1:00 PM EDT. BBC partner Jared Lang of NHT-Enterprise will give a presentation on a new model for installing solar on multifamily affordable housing properties. The model allows housing owners to set up an independent business entity to purchase and own solar PV systems on buildings across their portfolios. Join us to engage in dialogue with each other and HUD's BBC program management team.
- Register today for the 2018 Better Buildings Summit, hosted by DOE from August 21-23, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. Network with leaders in energy and water efficiency in the multifamily housing sector and attend valuable sessions in a dedicated multifamily track.
|
 |
BBC MF Partner Mercy Housing Wins NAA's ROE Energy Retrofit Award
On June 16th BBC Multifamily partner, Mercy Housing, was honored with the National Apartment Association's (NAA's) Return on Energy (ROE) Energy Retrofit Award. The award recognizes smart, innovative solutions that successfully reduce energy in a quantifiable way by showing estimated Return on Investment (ROI) at an individual property.
NAA's ROE awards honor apartment communities that have mastered the sustainability and energy reduction equation. The program spotlights action and results in energy management beneficial to the multifamily industry and aims to educate industry professionals on how benchmarking information can be used to improve energy efficiency.
|
 |
Mercy Housing won the ROE award for its renovation of 205 Jones Street Apartments, an affordable mid-rise property of 50 studio apartments in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. Mercy Housing implemented deep energy and water efficiency upgrades at the 94-year old property. Improvements included converting an existing gas domestic hot water heating system to electric heat pump water heaters – one of the first times this has been done in multifamily housing in the U.S. Mercy Housing also installed LED lighting in common areas and apartments, low-flow faucet aerators and showerheads, thermostatic radiator valves and pipe insulation, and added Energy Star washing machines.
The project is one of the first examples of applying the Energy Service Company (ESCO) model to multifamily affordable housing non-profits (not a public housing authority) in the nation. Mercy Housing’s ESCO partner, Affordable Community Energy (ACE), evaluated the property for opportunities, implemented the upgrades, and will maintain the equipment for a 10-year period at no capital expense to the property. The property pays for this service from measured not deemed savings as a result of efficiency implementation. During the 10-year period, the property pays 80% of the savings to ACE and maintains 20% of the savings at the property. The project also leveraged funds from the California Low Income Weatherization Program (LIWP).
The property is one of more than 90 properties that will be retrofit in partnership with ACE. This portfolio approach will allow Mercy Housing and ACE to do deeper retrofits at most of Mercy Housing’s California properties, because properties like 205 Jones Street that have faster financial paybacks will allow ACE to retrofit other properties that on their own would not be financially viable.
Read this post online.
Spotlight on Partner Successes
Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC) completed a retrofit of Julia Martin House, a 56-unit building for older adults financed through HUD's Section 202 program. After completing lighting upgrades, replacing boilers, and installing water sensors, JPNDC is achieving annual cost savings of nearly $18,000. Residents report less severe asthma and a new peace of mind knowing that their building will maintain a comfortable temperature.
Rockford Housing Authority has adapted the SEED model, an inter-agency pilot program to encourage energy literacy and green workforce development in public housing authorities, to meet the needs of its residents. Check out RHA's latest Implementation Model to learn more about its comprehensive approach to create a culture of conservation among residents and train public housing youth to develop on-the-job skills through urban agriculture.
|

The property's namesake, community organizer, and long-time resident Julia Martin reviews EE upgrades. |
|