Justice and Equity

NYS and NYC have created substantial resources to stand up first-in-the-nation grant and subsidy programs aimed at deeply incentivizing beneficial electrification in retrofits of existing multifamily buildings. This session will highlight three unique strategies through case studies of committed and completed projects. This session will also delve into the design and specification of systems in electrification retrofit projects, as well as data collected throughout the program design, construction, and operation processes.

As we move towards a carbon neutral future, how do we ensure affordable housing isn't left behind? This session will help industry professionals connect the dots between the Climate Mobilization Act and affordable housing. Due to historical disinvestment, inflation, and a looming housing crisis, communities living in affordable housing often struggle financially. The NYC Accelerator offers free assistance to these buildings, helping them avoid penalties and promote preservation while promoting climate action.

Together, Climate United and Power Forward were awarded nearly $9 billion through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund’s $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund. This session will dive into two of the awarded coalitions to explore how use of these federal dollars can transform capital markets and create meaningful change in the multifamily sector.

There is considerable debate about the relative benefits of electrification with heat pumps and envelope improvements. It has been suggested that Deep Energy Retrofits (DERs) are impractical & not cost effective. However, when an accurate Social Cost of Carbon is considered, DERs begin to look much more financially feasible. We apply a systems thinking lens to explore how carbon emissions are valued. We will present two multifamily DER examples to show the operational and embodied carbon reduction potential.

In this session we'll present the challenges and successes of the NYSERDA-funded Top Ops Program, which integrates site-based training into a Strategic Energy Management (SEM) approach, and detail the most effective interventions leading to behavior change and skills uptake. You'll come away with concrete strategies for successfully training building supers and engaging management, as well as techniques that supers can apply to increase savings.

NYCHA's Rental Assistance Demonstration Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (RAD-PACT) program leverages public-private partnerships to transition Section 9 Public Housing to Section 8 Project-Based Voucher subsidized housing. This restructuring is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to implement deep energy and capital needs improvements, while improving the health and quality of living for residents. This session will explore the decision-making process throughout the design, development, and scoping of one of the PACT clusters consisting of 7 buildings (410 units) in the Bronx.

To ensure equitable decarbonization, we must engage existing communities, accelerate pre-construction planning, and streamline financial pathways. By leveraging public data, we can democratize information and automate a scope relevant to the people that need it most to participate in a just clean energy transition.

We invite you to an interactive session on financing strategies for preparing New York's affordable housing to meet the climate goals of New York State and New York City. Presenters will share insights from Sustainable Affordable Housing, a recently published white paper by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and present an affordable housing finance model that demonstrates the need for innovative financial tools and incentives to drive early adoption.

This session will deconstruct how collaboration is a key component in helping communities decarbonize. The Crescent Farms Community Solar Project, built atop two Staten Island churches, is backed by workforce development labor and strategic financing structures. The project is exemplary in integrating financing, design, and deep stakeholder engagement to increase accessibility of clean energy, especially in disadvantaged communities.