The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has announced nearly $279 million in awards to properties across 23 states and territories under its Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) to support significant energy efficiency and climate resilience renovations of more than 3,500 homes.
These new grants and loans will increase energy and water efficiency, reduce climate pollution, generate renewable energy, reduce housing operating costs, promote the use of green building materials, and improve the quality of life for residents by making their homes more resilient to climate hazards.
To date, more than $1.12 billion from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act has now been awarded to 225 properties and nearly 26,000 rental homes, to make them greener, healthier, and safer for low-income households, seniors, and persons with disabilities. With these awards, 97% of funds dedicated to GRRP have now been awarded.
HUD’s latest grant issuance not only represent the largest dollar amount of grants and loans made under the GRRP at one time to date, but includes 11 properties participating in HUD’s Section 202 project-based rental assistance program for low-income seniors and six Section 811 program for low-income persons with disabilities.
“HUD has awarded over $1.1 billion through the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program to modernize housing for families across the country as the climate crisis continues to affect our most vulnerable communities,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “The awards announced today advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s housing and clean energy goals to ensure families we serve live in resilient, energy efficient, and comfortable homes where they can thrive.”
Largest GRRP Awards to Date
The Inflation Reduction Act established the GRRP in 2022 to fund energy efficiency and climate resilience improvements for multifamily properties participating in HUD’s project-based rental assistance programs This effort advances environmental justice through President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
“This is the largest set of Green and Resilient Retrofit Program awards to date, reinforcing our continued commitment to large-scale rehabilitation measures that ensure the safety and security of the low-income residents who call HUD-assisted housing home,” said Assistant Secretary for Housing Julia Gordon. “Today’s awards will address some of the most extensive and greatly needed energy efficiency and climate resilience upgrades for low-income households to date.”
The grants and loans announced represent the first GRRP awards in Hawaii, South Dakota, and Nebraska, and bring the total amount of funding under this program to more than $1.12 billion in 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. This is the fourth and final set of awards made under the GRRP’s Comprehensive category, which provides funding to properties with the highest need for climate resilience and utility efficiency upgrades. One remaining award announcement for the GRRP Elements category is expected in the coming months.
“We are pleased that this set of awards includes the largest number of properties to date that are participating in both our project-based rental assistance programs for low-income seniors and low-income persons with disabilities,” said Ethan Handelman, HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing Programs. “This is exactly what GRRP was designed to do–to help fund vital protections and improve the homes and lives of some of our nation’s most vulnerable populations.”
The new awardees include 26 properties that participate in the HUD Section 8 project-based rental assistance program for low-income individuals and families, 11 properties in HUD’s Section 202 project-based rental assistance program for low-income seniors, and six properties that receive support through HUD’s Section 811 supportive housing for people with disabilities. Three properties have more than 200 units, 21 properties have between 51-200 units, and 19 properties have fewer than 50 units.
GRRP Making Progress
As of October 3, 2024, GRRP funding has been awarded to 225 properties and more than 25,940 rental homes, to make them greener, healthier, and safer for low-income households, seniors, and persons with disabilities. The projects span the range from targeted upgrades to major net-zero renovation for properties in 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
GRRP funding is being used for insulation, energy efficient windows and doors, heat-resistant roofs, energy efficient heating and cooling, resilience measures and other improvements.
Approximately 900 properties have also signed up for HUD’s free energy and water benchmarking service, funded with more than $40 million from the President’s Inflation Reduction Act, so that HUD-assisted housing property owners can better understand the energy and water consumption at their properties in relation to other similar properties. This benchmarking information can in turn be used to assess energy efficiency and water conservation upgrades that can be funded under the GRRP.
Click here for a list of Green and Resilient Retrofit Program Comprehensive Round 4 Award winners.
