The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced $19 million in new grant and loan awards to 32 properties under its Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP). These funds are designated for energy efficiency and climate resilience renovations in over 4,260 homes occupied by low-income individuals, families, and seniors. This latest round brings the total funding awarded under the program to more than $773 million, serving 20,752 homes.
HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing Programs Ethan Handelman made the announcement at a press conference at Plymouth Square Village in Detroit, Michigan. The village will receive a $750,000 loan for essential climate resilience and energy efficiency improvements.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is ensuring that our country’s housing stock is not only affordable but also resilient and energy-efficient,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “Today, we are awarding crucial funds to renovate thousands of homes, making enhancements such as improved indoor air quality and integrating renewable energy sources. These changes are not trivial – they will reduce costs and increase the quality of life of the people we house.”
This funding round includes awards for properties in 18 states, including Vermont's first award. The investments aim to enhance energy and water efficiency, reduce climate pollution, generate renewable energy, promote low embodied carbon materials use, and improve residents' quality of life by making their homes more resilient to climate risks.
“These awards once again demonstrate the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to affordable housing preservation and climate resilience,” said Assistant Secretary for Housing Julia Gordon. “We’re investing funds that will improve the homes and lives of thousands of lower-income individuals and families.”
All investments align with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative goal that 40 percent of federal investment benefits flow to disadvantaged communities marginalized by underinvestment or overburdened by pollution. Retrofitting these homes aims to reduce emissions, make them more resilient to extreme weather events, cut energy costs, and advance affordable housing sustainability.
President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act established GRRP in 2022 to fund improvements in energy efficiency, electrification, clean energy generation, and climate resiliency within HUD-assisted rental portfolios.
The grants announced today are part of GRRP's Elements category awards—targeting projects already undergoing recapitalization with proven utility efficiency measures. Of the 32 properties receiving Elements awards today:
- 29 participate in HUD Section 8 project-based rental assistance,
- Three participate in HUD’s Section 202 project-based rental assistance,
- Six have more than 200 units,
- Twenty-two have between 51-200 units,
- Four have fewer than 50 units.
