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Welcome to the second edition of the GRRP Connect, a newsletter from HUD's Green and Resilient Retrofit Program. We're excited to continue sharing updates and insights with our dedicated community of stakeholders. Your ongoing engagement plays an important role in advancing our program's goal to improve the efficiency and resilience of affordable housing.
Since the last newsletter, HUD and GRRP stakeholders have continued to make significant strides. We have announced awards under an additional three funding rounds, bringing our total to 171 awards being made under nine of the 12 rounds and providing over $773 million in grants and surplus cash loans to over 20,700 homes. The final application periods have closed in all three cohorts, with selections expected before the end of the year. Additionally we've developed new resources to support owners, held webinars for awardees from the first two rounds of Comprehensive awards, and celebrated four GRRP Elements closings.
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In this newsletter, you'll find updates on the following topics:
- Funding Opportunities Closed
- GRRP Participant Resources
- HUD Requests Comments on GRRP Contracts and Forms
- GRRP Comprehensive Webinar Series
- Meet the GRRP Team!
- GRRP Benchmarking and Beyond
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Funding Opportunities Closed
Funded in a one-time appropriation by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the application period for GRRP has closed and selections for the final Elements, Leading Edge, and Comprehensive rounds of funding will be announced in the coming months. Comprehensive and Leading Edge applications that are eligible but not selected will be placed on a waitlist and considered for funding as it becomes available when awards are completed, withdrawn, revoked, or amended. Once completed, the waitlists for Leading Edge and Comprehensive will be posted on the GRRP website. There is no waitlist for the Elements cohort.
Though the application period is over, the program is still going strong as it moves into the next phase, with a pipeline of projects getting to closing and completing construction to make properties greener and more resilient.
GRRP Participant Resources
The GRRP Participant Resources webpage includes new resources to support the GRRP award recipients. For example, program participants can now access recordings of trainings on various topics, including a “how-to” series for Elements awardees and an overview training on Section 3 requirements to employee low-income persons in the project rehabilitation work, with more to come.
In addition to training materials, awardees can find recently updated versions of grant and loan documents as they become available. Since awardees are expected to utilize updated documents as they become available, it is important to check this site regularly and consult your Grant and Loan Specialists with any questions.
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HUD Requests Comments on GRRP Contracts and Forms
HUD is seeking feedback on Federal Register Notice No. FR-7080-N-36 for all of the form contracts and documents used by GRRP participants. They can be found on the GRRP Participants Resources page under "Grant and Loan Award Documents".
Comments are due by September 9th. To submit your comments, please send an email to PaperworkReductionActOffice@hud.gov and grrp@hud.gov, and reference, "Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) Supporting Documents and Processing Requirements".
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GRRP Comprehensive Webinar Series
GRRP program staff hosted two interactive webinars for Comprehensive awardees from the first two funding rounds announced in December 2023 and March 2024. During the August sessions, awardees were updated on both the assignment of Multifamily Assessment Contractors (MACs) and program timelines with shared milestones for the rehabilitation projects. The interactive sessions also enabled participants to submit and ask questions for direct responses from the program office.
The MACs are distinct to the Comprehensive cohort, supporting these awardees by performing a suite of environmental, energy, and resiliency assessments, which will be utilized along with resident feedback to develop the scope of work for each property. Additionally, MACs will assist Comprehensive awardees with developing and executing a project management plan, financial plan development, and providing Rehabilitation Escrow administration and GRRP transaction closing support.
Comprehensive round 1 and 2 awardees will soon be able to find a recording of the webinar on the GRRP Participant Resources webpage. We're currently beginning the process of assigning Comprehensive round 3 awardees to the MACs and will hold similar webinars for these awardees when the assignments are completed.
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Michael Stewart
Grant and Loan Specialist
Michael joined the Office of Recapitalization in June 2023 as a Grant and Loan Specialist within the Multifamily Investments Division. In this role, he is responsible for managing grant and loan transactions for the GRRP. Prior to this HUD role, he was part of the HUD Field Asset Management Division in the Office of Asset Management and Portfolio Oversight, where he handled a range of Multifamily Housing actions.
With over 22 years of public sector leadership, Michael has built a robust career in affordable and public housing, asset management, project management, capacity building, stakeholder development, and the administration and procurement of federal, state, and local grants. His experience includes roles such as Director of Real Estate Development at the Palm Beach Housing Authority, Assistant Director at an affordable housing non-profit, Director of Asset Management at the Houston Housing Authority, and Public Housing Director at the Housing Authority of East Baton Rouge Parish (EBRPHA). During his tenure at EBRPHA he successfully secured a high performer designation for a large Public Housing Authority (PHA) from HUD's Office of Public and Indian Housing for the first time in the agency's history, and he maintained this designation throughout his tenure.
Michael's commitment to capacity building and stakeholder development led to his selection to oversee the ConnectHome program for the city of Baton Rouge. His contributions to the field have been recognized with several achievement awards from the Southwest Regional Council-National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), Louisiana Housing Council, and HUD. A native of Louisiana, Michael holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. His diverse experience and strong leadership background continue to drive his commitment to advancing affordable housing and green initiatives across the country.
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GRRP Benchmarking and Beyond
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GRRP is part of a larger movement to increase resiliency and sustainability in the built environment. In each newsletter, information regarding additional resources that may be available to you (from HUD and other federal initiatives) will be included.
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GRRP Energy and Water Benchmarking Initiative
HUD's Energy and Water Benchmarking Initiative is currently enrolling properties. Owners are encouraged to enroll in this free program for eligible properties which not only includes initial benchmarking services but also ongoing services for up to 4 years. Over 900 properties are currently enrolled in the program, with over half having completed benchmarking for their first year.
Benchmarked properties will begin receiving their Energy and Water Usage Analysis Reports in the coming months. These reports will provide important measurements to help property owners better manage energy and water usage. Visit the Benchmarking Initiative webpage or email mfbenchmarking@hud.gov to start understanding and planning for future investments in your properties.
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Utilizing the Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program to Fund Renewable Energy Installations
HUD has published a new webinar on the Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program to help HUD-assisted multifamily owners to take advantage of this opportunity to cover 50%-70% of the cost-saving clean energy investments like solar and wind in affordable housing developments.
The Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit supplements the existing standard Clean Energy Tax Credit (ITC) (“48E” Tax Credit) by adding 20% to the 30% base credit already provided by the ITC. With additional ITC bonuses (if eligible), up to 70% of the solar facility costs can be potentially covered.
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