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Multi-family Building Owners And Managers

Don’t know how to start reducing your emissions, or are you looking to learn more? There are resources available to help you along the way. 

Multi-family buildings have unique characteristics to consider. These include:

  • the needs of low-income tenants
  • the potential for occupied retrofits, and
  • restrictive financing cycles.

The materials below have been collected with large multi-family buildings in mind.

MA Gap Energy Grant

A $7.5 million grant program offering up to $200,000 for eligible nonprofits to implement energy-saving upgrades. Apply by July 29, 2022.

Find out more

Affordable housing

Affordable housing
Green and Healthy Property Management Guide

LISC Boston’s guide helps affordable housing owners identify and implement measures to reduce energy, water, chemical usage, and waste.

Affordable Housing Refinancing Energy Efficiency Roadmap
Roadmap for LEAN Multifamily at Refinance

Read a step-by-step process to incorporate the LEAN program into the refinance process. 

Multifamily Retrofit Toolkit
Multi-family retrofit toolkit

Learn about options for affordable multi-family housing for a single project or a portfolio. These are outlined by Enterprise Community Partners.

Financial resources

Financial resources
Better Buildings Financing Navigator

A collection of resources from the U.S. Department of Energy. This includes:

  • sector energy financing primers
  • financing option fact sheets
  • high-level market overviews and guides, and
  • information on financing policies and programs.
Mass Save

Get rebates, custom incentives, and loans for a variety of energy efficiency measures. Start by getting a Mass Save Multi-Family Energy Assessment at no cost. 

Fannie Mae

Get reduced interest rate loans and discounted audits for multi-family housing retrofits that reduce energy use.

Freddie Mac

Get reduced interest rate loans and discounted audits for multi-family housing retrofits that reduce energy use.

LISC

Get reduced interest rate loans and discounted audits for multi-family housing retrofits that reduce energy use.  

Mass Housing Partnership

Get reduced interest rate loans and discounted audits for multi-family housing retrofits that reduce energy use.

DHCD

Offers low- or no-interest loans for affordable multi-family buildings.

BIDFA Tax-Exempt Lease

Offers low-interest financing for nonprofits using performance contracts to reduce their energy use.

Commercial PACE

Get financing for energy improvements for:

  • commercial
  • industrial, and
  • large multi-family properties
Boston Home Center

City of Boston income-eligible loans and grants for home repair and heating system replacement.

SMART

Get incentives for solar photovoltaic (PV) projects, with adders for:

  • energy storage
  • community solar, and
  • projects that benefit low-income households.
Business Energy Investment Tax Credit

This federal tax credit is for renewable projects, including solar and geothermal.

Modified Accelerated Cost-Recovery System

This federal depreciation deduction for businesses recovers investments in solar PV, solar thermal, and geothermal.

Solar and Wind Power Deduction

Learn about the Massachusetts excise tax deduction for solar and wind systems.

Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption

Learn about the Massachusetts property tax exemption for solar and wind systems.

Community Choice Electricity

The City of Boston program buys affordable and renewable electricity on behalf of its residents and businesses.

Mass Save

Get incentives for switching from oil, propane, or electric resistance heating and hot water systems to heat pumps. Start by getting a Mass Save Multi-Family Energy Assessment at no cost. 

Department of Energy Resources

Get Alternative Energy Credits for:

  • solar hot water
  • air-source heat pumps, and
  • ground source heat pumps.
Eversource

You can receive incentives for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations.

Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program

The program offers rebates for the hardware and installation costs of electric vehicle charging stations.

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