The Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC) is seeking public feedback to help design the Clean Heat Standard. The CHS will have a significant impact on low and moderate income Vermonters and may offer new resources to help increase efficiency and decarbonization in affordable housing. A public engagement session will be held on Thursday, June 6th.
Energy
EPA awards $62 million in solar funding for low-income Vermonters
Last week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Vermont will receive a historic $62.4 million grant from the Solar For All Program. The program is intended to make solar power more affordable for disadvantaged communities and low-income households, including residents of subsidized affordable housing developments.
HUD program offers $837 million in grants for multifamily retrofits
A new program offered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will offer $837.5 million in grants as well as $4 billion in loan authority to help property owners to carry out energy efficient retrofits of HUD-assisted multifamily affordable housing. The Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) is part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed by Congress last August.
New weatherization financing program available for Vermonters
Drafty, inefficient homes in need of weatherization will soon have a new affordable program available to them with the launch of the Weatherization Repayment Assistance Program (WRAP). The program, funded by $9 million from the state and overseen by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA), will use an innovative on-bill payment model to help moderate-income Vermonters participate in comprehensive home energy projects.
WRAP will allow Vermont households to pay for qualifying weatherization projects like insulation and air sealing as well as heat pumps and advanced wood heating systems through a monthly charge on their utility bill that can be paid back over time. Both homeowners and renters can participate in the program.
Mia Watson promoted to Special Programs Manager
Executive Director Maura Collins announced that Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) has promoted Mia Watson (she/her) of Essex Junction to the new role of Special Programs Manager.
Watson has been at VHFA since 2017 as the Agency’s Research and Communications Coordinator. In this role, she developed and updated visualizations on the Vermont Housing Data website, authored many agency publications including VHFA blog articles, press releases, social media and annual reports and operated the Vermont Housing Fellow program, an internship program for graduate students. She has a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Vermont.
Climate change raises risk of increasing inequities
The Urban Institute recently released an article about how an equity lens is essential to mitigating the effects of hotter summers that are expected in the future due to climate change. As our climate continues to rise, low-income neighborhoods and communities of color are much more likely to experience hotter summers and the effects that come with it, even compared to higher income neighborhoods in the same area. This, along with less access to air conditioning and cooler buildings, means that marginalized communities are most vulnerable to the health risks associated with climate change.
Public feedback sought for building energy codes
The Vermont Department of Public Service (PSD) will soon begin updating Vermont's building energy codes, with the target effective date of Fall or Winter 2023. The code update process will include multiple opportunities for stakeholders to provide input and feedback.
Protecting housing affordability through the Clean Heat Standard
The mission of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) is to finance and promote affordable, safe, and decent housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income Vermonters.
Embedded in that mission is the need to consider the holistic cost of renting and owning, meaning not just the upfront cost of housing, but also the cost of living in it long term.
Heating inefficient homes is a significant expense. This particularly hurts the most vulnerable Vermonters since very low-income households spend 23% of their total income on heating costs, on average. Add to that unexpected shifts in fossil fuel costs like we are now seeing as a result of the Ukrainian crisis, and even more pressure is put on limited Vermont budgets.
Ken Pulido joins VHFA as Director of Energy Finance
Executive Director Maura Collins announced that VHFA has selected Ken Pulido (he/him) of South Burlington in the newly created role of Director of Energy Finance.
Pulido has a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California-Irvine and an MBA from Stanford University. He has worked as both a banker and developer in the energy and finance sectors, including most recently as a consultant working with Vermont utilities on decarbonization efforts. He is also a member of the South Burlington Energy Committee. Pulido has been consulting with VHFA for the last year on its Weatherization Repayment Assistance Program (WRAP), before accepting a role as a full-time staff member.
VHFA hosting Weatherization Pilot Program focus groups
A group of energy and financing agencies is developing an innovative weatherization payment mechanism that will allow more Vermonters to participate in comprehensive weatherization projects. One step is to hear from potential customers to help design the process. We are seeking interested homeowners whose building is between 1-4 units in size to participate in a 1-hour focus group. Participants will each receive a $50 gift card for their time. Please find details and dates below. Register and share with others who may be interested!