HUD Launches Free Energy and Water Benchmarking Service for HUD-Assisted Multifamily Properties

New service funded under the Inflation Reduction Act furthers President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and promotes green investments in rental homes for low-income families

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today makes its Energy and Water Benchmarking Service available for properties participating in its Multifamily project-based rental assistance programs. This new, free service provides participating multifamily property owners with data on energy and water consumption at their properties. The data provided will aid property owners in identifying opportunities for energy efficiency improvements that can benefit residents and promote green investments in individual properties or entire property portfolios. Property owners can also use the information to assess rehabilitation efforts that may be eligible for grant or loan funding under HUD’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) or other sources of funding.

This action was announced as HUD senior leaders join the U.S. delegation to COP28, led by Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. Senior U.S. officials from over 20 U.S. departments and agencies, along with civil society leaders from across the U.S., have traveled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to advance U.S. climate goals.

“President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act provided historic funds to make U.S. homes more climate-resilient than ever,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “As a part of those investments, HUD is launching a first-of-its-kind, free service to give owners data insights on their properties’ water and energy consumption, helping them find ways to increase efficiency and promote green investments.”

“Along with the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, the benchmarking service puts the historic Inflation Reduction Act funding to work in communities that are too often overlooked,” said Assistant Secretary for Housing Julia Gordon. “This program reinforces our ongoing commitment to efficient, safe, and healthy homes in all communities.”

President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history—established the GRRP with more than $800 million in grant funding and $4 billion in loan commitment authority. GRRP is the first HUD program to simultaneously invest in energy efficiency, renewable energy generation, climate resilience, and low-embodied-carbon materials in HUD-assisted multifamily housing. Investments under the program will be made in affordable housing communities serving low-income families in accordance with President Biden’s agenda for building the American economy from the middle out and the bottom up.

Funded with $42.5 million through the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, the benchmarking service announced today is free for owners of properties participating in HUD’s Multifamily Assisted Housing programs, including Section 8 project-based rental assistance, Section 202 Housing for Low-Income Elderly, Section 811 Housing for Low-Income Persons with Disabilities, and Section 236 Preservation programs. Owners that choose to participate in HUD’s benchmarking service can use the resulting data to apply for GRRP grants and loans under the Comprehensive cohort, as well as to comply with the general GRRP benchmarking requirement. This data can also help owners understand and qualify for other energy and water efficiency programs funded by IRA or through their local jurisdictions and utilities. The benchmarking service offers owners:

• Specific information about a property’s energy and water performance, comparisons of this usage with similar properties, and recommendations for savings;
• Benchmarking analytics from the ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®, a tool developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and
• Technical assistance, training, and other resources.

“The Energy and Water Benchmarking Service provides free help to properties as a part of our work through the GRRP to make multifamily assisted housing more energy efficient and climate resilient,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing Programs Ethan Handelman. “Benchmarking data will not only assist individual properties and their residents, but it will also contribute to an aggregate understanding of energy use throughout our assisted housing portfolio.”

HUD estimates up to 9,000 properties may choose to participate in this service. HUD’s contractor, Leidos, will be contacting property owners throughout the coming months to discuss the program and solicit participation. Owners may also contact HUD at mfbenchmarking@hud.gov to participate.