At CLPHA’s Housing Is Summit today, HUD announced the availability of $837 million through the new Green Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP). Released today are the program’s implementing notice and Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs), which detail a range of grant and loan funding options for multifamily housing owners with varying levels of expertise with green retrofits. The new GRRP program provides loans and grants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the energy and water efficiency and climate resilience of HUD-assisted multifamily properties. CLPHA previously provided comments on the program’s design.
HUD is offering GRRP funding through three award cohorts designed to meet the needs of properties in different situations, implemented through three parallel NOFOs which are being released with this Notice. These award cohorts are:
- Elements Award cohort
- Owner-driven, specified investments, small awards (<$750K); up to $40,000 per unit
- Designed for small properties with ongoing or small-scale efforts
- HUD is anticipating making approximately 200 awards
- The first awards will be made around June 9
- Leading Edge Award cohort
- Medium size awards (<$10M) or $60,000 per unit
- Owner-driven whole-building retrofits
- Approximately 100 awards anticipated
- Comprehensive Award cohort
- Comprehensive property assessments; whole building retrofits
- Largest awards (<$20 M) or $80,000 per unit
- Focuses on properties with significant need
- Engages properties at the assessment and concept stage for planning for investments
- Approximately 300 awards anticipated
- Quarterly application reviews beginning August 31, 2023
Under all three award cohorts, owners will receive grant or loan funding to undertake retrofits, enhancements, and upgrades to improve energy and water efficiency, indoor air quality, and climate hazard resilience; to reduce emissions; to use renewable energy; and/or to use low Embodied Carbon materials. With this funding, building owners will be able to invest in technologies, such as solar panels, heat pumps, wind-resistant roofing, insulation, low embodied carbon materials, and other measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make properties healthier for residents.
Generally, eligibility is focused on properties assisted under the Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program, the Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program, the Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities program, or the Section 236 program. RAD-PBRA properties that converted prior to September 30, 2021 are also eligible. Public housing properties are not eligible per statute. Specific eligibility definitions are contained in the applicable NOFOs.
The Inflation Reduction Act provided HUD with $837.5 million in grant and loan subsidy funding and $4 billion in loan commitment authority for this new program. The Inflation Reduction Act also includes $42.5 million for a new HUD initiative launching later this summer to collect and assess energy and water usage data from HUD-assisted multifamily properties. GRRP funds can be paired with various other sources of funding from the Inflation Reduction Act.
HUD will host a live webinar on the full scope of GRRP on Tuesday, May 23 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Register for that webinar here.