Energy Equity for Renters offers no-cost technical assistance to local governments and community-based organizations seeking to improve rental energy efficiency while also preserving or expanding housing affordability. Past technical assistance supported the following communities in pursuing several rental energy efficiency initiatives:
- Bay Area Regional Energy Network – As the Bay Area Regional Energy Network, StopWaste, and the City of Berkeley promote electrification of existing buildings, they seek to incorporate renter protections into both voluntary programs and mandatory policies. These will ensure that all residents have access to healthy housing conditions and are not faced with higher energy costs, rent increases, or displacement as a result of energy-related upgrades to their buildings. ACEEE will conduct and share research on how existing multifamily retrofit programs and policies across the country are protecting tenants to help guide equitable building decarbonization strategies across the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Cambridge, MA – Renters make up 60% of Cambridge’s residential population. ACEEE will analyze the Cambridge rental housing market and will help with planning and implementing an equitable community and stakeholder engagement process. This will help shape a renter energy equity program or policy in support of Cambridge’s goals to improve building efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and lower energy burdens.
- Duluth, MN – The City of Duluth seeks to expand existing energy efficiency programs to renters by establishing relationships and a system of communication between utility providers, community-based organizations, and landlords. ACEEE will conduct research on incentives to encourage landlord participation in energy-saving programs and help develop protocols for approaching landlords with energy efficiency strategies.
- Portland, OR – A broad coalition of local governments, transportation agencies, community groups, and housing advocates in Portland are working collectively to solve issues of housing displacement stemming from local transportation infrastructure projects. ACEEE technical assistance will support the City of Portland and its community partners as they implement an equitable community development strategy based on principles of racial and social justice, anti-displacement coalition-building, and community wealth development efforts.
- Tacoma, WA – As the City of Tacoma considers the implementation of a municipal code or policy to incentivize or require all-electric space and water heating equipment in existing rental properties, it will work with ACEEE and local community-based organizations to identify the best mechanisms and partnerships to achieve its decarbonization goals while limiting harmful impacts on affordability.