Energy efficiency and electrification upgrades in rental properties can reduce energy use, lower utility costs, and improve comfort for renters. However, rental retrofit programs also need to consider how these projects affect the people who live there in other ways—from construction disruptions and temporary relocation to changes in rents, utility costs, and other housing expenses.
ACEEE and the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law are offering technical assistance to help New England local governments and community-based organizations develop initiatives that advance energy efficiency and electrification upgrades in rental properties while keeping renters in homes they can afford. We’re hosting a webinar on September 15 to discuss strategies for designing effective rental energy programs and share more information about the technical assistance opportunity (registration details are below).
What Our Technical Assistance Will Address
Technical assistance will help participants identify ways to protect renters while designing programs that are attractive to property owners and realistic for program administrators to implement. Depending on the needs of participating communities, this could include approaches to informing and involving residents in planned energy upgrades, managing construction-related disruptions, maintaining housing affordability, and incorporating other appropriate protections into program design and implementation.
ACEEE will bring our expertise in energy efficiency and electrification rental program design and implementation, while the Sabin Center will provide legal research on state and local laws that may affect renter protections and program design.
How Our Technical Assistance Will Work
We expect technical assistance engagements to focus on clearly defined, manageable projects that can be completed within a few months. Participants may apply independently or with partners. Partnerships are welcome but are not required.
Interested organizations will be asked to describe the issue they are working to address, the assistance they are seeking, and the work they expect to undertake themselves. Before technical assistance begins, ACEEE, the Sabin Center, and each participant will agree on a written scope that clearly identifies the work to be completed, the roles of each organization, the expected deliverable or outcome, and the project timeline.
Learn More
ACEEE is hosting a webinar at 1:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 15, introducing these issues and discussing strategies that communities and program administrators can consider when designing rental energy programs. We will also discuss the technical assistance opportunity in more detail and answer any questions.
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