Provide education, technical support, capacity, and strategic leadership to help facilitate systems changes
The State of California has a highly sophisticated set of tools to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy in disadvantaged communities. The State’s energy savings and climate protection goals are incredibly ambitious and, as a result, it is imperative to work faster, smarter, and much harder to reach these goals toward an equitable energy transition. Our research has elevated some key challenges, opportunities, and recommendations for the field.
In order to address the challenges and issues identified, we suggest providing education, financial resources, technical support, capacity, and strategic leadership to help facilitate systems changes capable of supporting more investment in LIDACs through affordable housing. Technical assistance and capacity building will need to be implemented for state and local agencies, housing owners, advocates, and other stakeholders to implement the above recommendations. In particular, we recommend further activities and investments in the following areas:
Direct and streamline climate finance resources into affordable housing to boost the impact of new federal funds to help California reach LIDAC and climate targets.
Prepare California’s leaders across housing, energy, infrastructure, and advocacy sectors to advance solutions and change systems through sharing knowledge, best practices, and collaboration.
Provide training, technical support, capacity, and strategic leadership to help state and local agencies in California bring new energy dollars into existing affordable housing programs to fill gaps. More specifically, helping to apply for funding and to develop a priority project pipeline, with a focus on ensuring sustainability funds flow into LIDACs through subsidized and unsubsidized affordable multifamily properties with different owner types.
Support nonprofit affordable housing developers and their asset and property management partners with technical assistance and capacity building to evaluate their energy and solar financing strategies to maximize their ability to decarbonize their projects and portfolios.
Develop a long-term plan with clear metrics and targets to decarbonize California’s affordable, multifamily residential real estate to meet the state’s Climate GHG reduction goals.