 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Washington State Field Office Director Gary Gant presents Mercy Housing President Joe Thompson with a check for Sterling Senior Housing in Bellingham, Washington.
HUD Announces $1.6 Million to Improve Energy Efficiency and Climate Resilience at Sterling Senior Apartments in Bellingham
Funding is part of $544 million in Green and Resilient Retrofit Program awards which are helping properties and communities throughout the country to combat the climate crisis and improve lives for low-income individuals and families.
BELLINGHAM – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today celebrated Sterling Senior Housing in Bellingham, Washington as a recipient of $1,680,000 in funding under HUD’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program. The announcement was made by Washington State Field Office Director Gary Gant at an event at the property with Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund and Joe Thompson, President of Mercy Housing Northwest, the owner of Sterling Senior Apartments. The funds will be used to help finance energy efficiency and climate resilience renovations for the homes of the 20 people who call Sterling Senior Housing their home.
The President’s Inflation Reduction Act allocated $837 million to HUD for the program. To date, HUD has put more than $544 million in program grants and loans into the hands of individual assisted housing property owners to improve the health, safety, and energy efficiency of properties that more than 12,600 low-income individuals and families call home. This is the first and only award in Washington to-date.
"I am thrilled that Sterling Senior Housing is the first community in Washington to receive funds through HUD's Green and Resilient Retrofit Program. This money will go towards making 20 homes, and the lives of the people who live in them, more resilient as the Northwest faces extreme weather patterns. With Earth Day right around the corner, it's a great time to celebrate green and healthy housing!" – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Washington State Field Office Director Gary Gant
“Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, Mercy Housing Northwest has the funding it needs to improve quality of life for seniors who call the Sterling Senior Community home. Congress must continue to partner with local organizations and communities to break down barriers to affordable housing while also working to lower energy and maintenance costs, reduce carbon emissions, and keep residents healthy and safe in Northwest Washington.”
– Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), the lead Democrat on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
“Every new development for Mercy Housing Northwest is built with sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint in mind. What is often missing from the conversation are resources to lessen the impact of older communities in our portfolio. Thanks to a $1.7 million investment from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Biden Harris Administration, Mercy Housing Northwest will have the necessary resources to improve water efficiency, enhance indoor air quality, and improve internal systems at Sterling Senior Apartments. This sort of investment is vital for Mercy Housing Northwest. It also improves the quality of life for our residents and gets us closer to our sustainability goals.” – Joe Thompson, Mercy Housing Northwest President
Investments under the GRRP will advance environmental justice by serving low-income families in accordance with the Administration’s Justice 40 initiative. Retrofitting these homes will reduce their carbon emissions, make them more resilient to extreme weather events, and enhance their ability to more quickly respond to and recover from such events.
FACT SHEET: Green and Resilient Retrofit Program Progress To-Date
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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.
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With 50 percent of the planned award funding distributed, more than 12,600 rental homes will become greener, healthier, and safer, which benefits everyone.
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To date, HUD has granted awards for 109 properties undertaking green and climate resilience measures. These properties are home to more than 12,600 very low-income households, seniors, and persons with disabilities.
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As of March 28, 2024, HUD has distributed $544.4 million in grants and surplus cash awards under the GRRP, comprised of $240.1 million in grants and $304.3 million in surplus cash loans.
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Of the awardees receiving grants and loans in six rounds of funding, 87 are properties receiving Multifamily Section 8 project-based rental assistance, 21 properties are receiving Section 202 project-based rental assistance for low-income seniors, and one is receiving Section 811 project-based rental assistance for low-income persons with disabilities.
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GRRP funding is being used for energy efficient windows and doors, heat-resistant roofs, new air conditioning and heating, and other improvements. The projects span the range from targeted upgrades to major net-zero renovation for properties in 38 states and the District of Columbia
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GRRP is designed to work for properties of all sizes, and with a range of energy efficiency and climate resilience needs. Almost 20 properties receiving grant and loan awards have fewer than 50 units, some 70 properties have between 50 and 100 units, while 15 have more than 200 units.
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More than 700 properties have also signed up for HUD’s free energy and water benchmarking service, funded with more than $40 million from the President’s Inflation Reduction Act so that Multifamily assisted housing property owners can understand the energy and water consumption at their properties, which in turn can be used to assess upgrades that can be funded under the GRRP. Sign up by emailing MFBenchmarking@hud.gov or by visiting www.hud.gov/grrp.
Green and Resilient Retrofit Program Background Detail
The GRRP Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and additional guidance detail the multiple funding options for which property owners may apply:
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Elements provides funding to owners for proven and meaningful climate resilience and utility efficiency measures in projects that are already in the process of being recapitalized.
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Leading Edge provides funding to owners with plans for ambitious retrofit activities to achieve zero energy retrofits and an advanced green certification.
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Comprehensive provides funding to properties with the highest need for climate resilience and utility efficiency upgrades, regardless of prior development or environmental retrofit experience.
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