• You’re invited to our Better Buildings Summer Webinar Series starting in July. Each week, partners will discuss some of the most pressing topics that you’re facing and share best practices and innovative new ways to approach sustainability and energy performance. Join the Multifamily Sector on July 21, 2020 at 1:00 PM EDT for our Strategies to Combine Energy + Health Upgrades in Multifamily Housing summer series session.
  

Mercy Housing, based in Denver, Colorado, achieved 24 percent energy savings across its nationwide portfolio of 320 properties with 23,000 housing units. The organization was able to leverage $6.3 million in rebates to implement more than 240 projects. Mercy Housing achieved its goals by leveraging rebate funding; dedicating staff solely to efficiency and environmental responsibilities; building new properties to environmental standards; and implementing a large-scale, innovative pay-from-savings efficiency program.

Mercy Housing’s Natalie Gubb Commons  

Corcoran Management's Canterbury Towers  

Corcoran Management, based in Braintree, Massachusetts, achieved 23 percent energy savings across its portfolio of 10 properties with 1,300 housing units, becoming a Goal Achiever in only three years. Corcoran Management invested in boiler and lighting upgrades across its portfolio, and outfitted units with smart thermostats. The company trained 80 percent of its staff in energy efficiency principles to create a culture of sustainability across maintenance and management staff, to always be on the lookout for new opportunities to save energy.

Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), based in Boston, Massachusetts, achieved 20 percent energy savings across its portfolio of 84 properties with 11,000 housing units in 11 states and the District of Columbia. POAH used its data platforms to establish analytical tools that prioritized energy and water projects, and educated POAH’s development team on energy and water strategies. POAH also established a web-based platform, POAH Basis of Design, to establish material and energy efficiency standards. Targeting local and state incentives based on property needs provided more opportunities for retrofits across the portfolio.

POAH's Colony Plaza Apartments

Trinity Housing Corporation of Greeley’s Island Grove Apartments

Trinity Housing Corporation of Greeley, in Greeley, Colorado, achieved 20 percent energy savings in just six years across its portfolio of 108 housing units. Trinity realized its savings by implementing whole-property LED and ultra-bright LED lighting retrofits and installing Temperature Limiting Thermostats in units. Additionally, the organization upgraded to 97 and 95 percent energy efficient ENERGY STAR® furnaces, installed 16 SEER air conditioners, and 91 percent energy efficient boilers.

HUD’s newly released Health@Home guidelines give affordable housing developers or owners a framework for incorporating healthy housing practices and products into their moderate rehabilitation or home repair programs. They are organized around nine healthy housing principles: the eight widely accepted Principles of Healthy Homes plus one: Healthy Living and Active Design. The Guidelines, for the first time, provide an easy-to-use crosswalk between the Principles (Section A) and commonly used Rehab or Property Standards that are organized by building component (Section B), such as Foundations and Structure, Interiors, Electrical, Building Exterior, etc. While healthy housing has always been important, the guidelines are especially relevant in light of the current COVID-19 virus.

HUD's new Health@Home High-Performance Housing
Rehabilitation Guidelines