Several federal agencies sponsor programs to weatherize multifamily housing units.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other federal agencies administer various grant programs for the acquisition, renovation or construction of multifamily units. Some programs are focused on making the units more energy-efficient. Other programs subsidize rents for low-income tenants living in multifamily housing. Property owners can apply for grant funding through their states, local governments or public housing authorities.
Project-Based Rental Assistance
HUD provides a Section 8 rental subsidy that can be used in multifamily housing units. The program allows tenants in the building to pay 30 percent of their income toward rent, with HUD paying the remaining portion. To qualify for housing, the family's income must be no higher than 80 percent of their area's median income.
Native American Housing Block Grants
HUD provides grant funding to federally recognized Indian tribal governments to help them acquire, rehabilitate or construct low-income housing. The grant money can also be used to make energy-efficient improvements on a property. The funds must be expended within three years of receiving the grant. If the organization or tribe does not meet this requirement, the grant money will be recaptured.
Green Retrofit Grants
Funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, HUD has allocated grants to landlords of multifamily housing units to help them retrofit their properties for energy efficiency. To qualify for a grant, the landlord must be receiving a Section 8 or Section 202 rental subsidy for their housing units. The property owner can receive a green retrofit grant up to $15,000 per housing unit. The grant money can be used to install more efficient heating and cooling systems, low-flow toilets, or reflective roofing.
HUD-DOE Weatherization Partnership
In February 2009, HUD and the Department of Energy (DOE) formed a partnership to administer $16 billion of weatherization assistance to states and local governments. The money is earmarked for public and Indian housing, and privately owned federally assisted low-income housing. The property owner can receive up to $6,500 per housing unit. Owners who rent to families, seniors and people with disabilities are given priority. Tenants who live in these units cannot be subjected to a rent increase to pay for the improvements.
Tags: housing units, multifamily housing, grant money, multifamily housing units, federal agencies
