Helping to build a new future
for multifamily housing

California Multifamily Consortium

The California Multifamily Consortium strives to improve delivery of energy efficiency services to the multifamily housing sector.

The Consortium is made up of existing multifamily organizations, cities and counties, public housing, building officials, investor owned and municipal utilities, appropriate state and federal agencies, financiers, and the university and community college systems. We work together to identify energy efficiency related market needs and barriers, provide resources, and cultivate links between the resources, knowledge, and multi-family housing providers.

Resources & Programs

Resources

Utility Resources

Pacific Gas & Electric: Multifamily Energy Efficiency Program
The Multifamily Energy Efficiency Program is offered to residential multifamily property owners and managers of existing residential dwellings that contain five or more units. The program encourages the installation of qualifying energy-efficient products in individual tenant units and in common areas of residential apartment buildings, mobile home parks, and condominium complexes. The program is now available through December 31, 2005, while funding is available.

Southern California Edison: Residential Multifamily Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
The 2005 Residential Multifamily Energy Efficiency Rebate Program offers property owners and managers incentives on a broad list of energy efficiency improvements in lighting, HVAC, insulation and window categories.  These improvements are to be used to retrofit existing multifamily properties of five or more units.   

All Other Utilities
Flex Your Power offers links to all utilities in the state.

San Diego Regional Energy Office: Green Building Technical Assistance Program
This program is focused on providing free training, design assistance and technical support for public and private sector green building projects.  The program promotes long-term sustainable energy use and peak demand savings by supplementing existing municipal green building program implementation efforts in the San Diego region.

Nonprofit, Third Party Resources

California Multifamily New Homes Program
The California Multifamily New Homes Program sponsored by PG&E provides cash incentives that can help you meet your Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) funding energy efficiency goals. If your multifamily new construction project is receiving TCAC funding, consider taking advantage of this public service program that provides cash incentives for:

• ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances to help meet TCAC's minimum construction standards requirement of installing ENERGY STAR rated appliances, including but not limited to, refrigerators, dishwashers, and clothes washers shall be installed when such appliance are provided within low-income units.
• A four percent increase in the Threshold Basis Limit is permitted when a new construction project includes additional three energy efficiency/resource conservation/indoor air quality measures. A project that exceeds Title 24 by 15% qualifies for one such point . PG&E's California Multifamily New Homes program (CMFNH) offers cash incentives for projects that exceed Title 24 by 15%. Plus, CMFNH offers design assistance to most cost effectively achieve 15% for your specific project and climate. The program also offers incentives to your qualifying energy consultant (advises you on how to achieve 15% or more) and HERS Rater (inspects installation of energy efficiency measures).

For More information: Contact the Heschong Mahone Group, Inc.
TOLL-FREE PHONE: 866.352.7457
FAX: 916.962.0101
EMAIL: CMFNH@h-m-g.com
www.h-m-g.com/multifamily/CMFNH

Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California
NPH works to advance affordable housing as the foundation for thriving individuals, families and neighborhoods. As the collective voice of those who support, build and operate affordable housing, NPH promotes the proven methods offered by the non-profit housing sector and focuses governement policy on housing solutions.

Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing
SCANPH is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the development, preservation and management of permanently affordable housing for low-income people SCANPH believes that the non-profit community development industry is the best vehicle of attainment of this goal.

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
Community Development Corporations can receive support from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a national nonprofit community development organization. The LISC provides grants, loans and equity investments to CDCs in urban and rural areas for neighborhood redevelopment including creating affordable housing and commercial space, job training programs, and day care centers. Each local LISC program provides financial and technical support for community driven program priorities defined by CDCs in the region. For information on grant and loan opportunities in your area, contact the LISC office nearest you or go to www.liscnet.org/contact/programs/. You may also contact Michael Rubinger, President: 212-455-9800.

The Utility Reform Network (TURN)
TURN is a statewide, nonprofit consumer organization that has represented the residential and small business customers of California's large, investor-owned utilities since 1973. TURN participates in nearly all major rate and policy proceedings before the California Public Utilities Commission, seeking fair rates for utility services.As California's only independent, statewide utility watchdog organization, TURN also represents small consumers before federal regulatory agencies, in the state legislature, and in the courts. TURN provides consumer information, education and referrals; maintains public and media outreach programs; and conducts research on energy and telecommunications policy issues.

Green Affordable Housing Coalition
This is a coalition of San Francisco Bay Area public-sector and private-sector professionals committed to improving the stock of affordable housing by incorporating green building practices. Our goal is to accelerate the integration of sustainable building practices into housing construction, operation, and maintenance. Through education and outreach, we promote the use of construction materials and practices that save money and resources, while protecting people and the planet. For more information, contact Bruce Mast at: bmast@frontierassoc.com or phone 510-271-4785.

What's Working
What's Working, Inc. is a nationally recognized pioneer company that transforms markets in the U.S. residential green building sector. For over a decade, the firm has provided practical, effective services in policy development, program design, resource tool development, training for professionals and the public, organizational facilitation, marketing, media relations, design consultation, and building materials specifications. What's Working, Inc. also supports sustainable businesses through their visionary leadership training and provides socially and ecologically responsible guidance to successful businesses and communities internationally.

Government Informational Resources

CA Flex Your Power
Flex Your Power's website is your resource for energy efficiency and conservation information. Find incentives/rebates, technical assistance, retailers, product guides, case studies and more for residents, commercial& small business, industry, local governments, schools and agriculture.

Green California
Green California is a gateway for the latest information on how the State of California is working to reduce energy and resource consumption, while creating safer and healthier environments in which to work, live and learn.

HUD’s Public Housing Energy Conservation Clearinghouse
The Public Housing Energy Conservation Clearinghouse (PHECC) assists public housing authorities manage utility operations and reduce utility costs. Use the Clearinghouse to learn more about topics such as water- and energy-saving technologies, effective approaches for managing utilities, and electricity deregulation.PHECC is a project of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH). PIH ensures safe, decent, and affordable housing, creates opportunities for residents' self-sufficiency and economic independence, and assures the fiscal integrity of all program participants. PIH provides information especially geared toward public housing agencies, Native American tribes, and tribally-designated housing entities.

HUD Energy Resource Guide for CA
Developed by Wayne Waite, HUD Western Regional Energy Officer, this resource guide contains most, if not all, energy efficiency programs available to Californians. A new report will be posted with 2006-2008 utility prorams when available.

Programs

Applicable 2006-2008 Third Party Utility Programs will be posted here when they are announced.

Design For Comfort: Efficient Affordable Housing Program
This program offers assistance to local housing authorities across California to adopt and implement an Energy Efficiency-Based Utility Allowance that reflects the lower costs of operating energy efficient homes. The Energy Efficiency-Based Utility Allowance, developed through the Efficient Affordable Housing program, allows participating projects to achieve pay back on the energy efficiency investment more quickly, lowers the monthly housing burden (total of rent plus utilities) to the tenants, and often allows the property owner to pay off loans (such as to the housing authority) more quickly. This program offers two alternatives to housing authorities:

1) Housing Authorities can choose to administer all aspects of Energy Efficiency-Based Utility Allowance program.
2) Designed for Comfort can offer substantial assistance with administration of the program for up to eighteen months.

For more information please contact Puja Manglani at 916-962-7001x20 or Julianne Summerfield at 619-917-5690 or go to www.designedforcomfort.com.

Greening Affordable Housing Initiative
Through the Greening Affordable Housing Initiative Global Green USA works with non-profit and for-profit developers to reduce resource consumption and foster sustainable communities by encouraging the design, construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of resource efficient affordable housing. Services provided through the Initiative are: Technical Assistance, Workshops, Design Charrettes, Publications & Advocacy and Policy. For more detailed information go to: www.globalgreen.org/programs/rescue.html#GAHI

Reference Tools

Multifamily Green Building Guidelines
A comprehensive resource for architects and project managers, including 63 recommended measures and 8 case studies. Contains information about:
• what measures are appropriate to use in specific developments
• at what point to incorporate measures into the project schedule
• the relative costs and benefits of specific measures
• where to get additional technical information or materials

The Materials Handbook: Guidelines for Sustainable Affordable Housing
The purpose of the Handbook is to share knowledge about building materials and design strategies that have been used successfully to create healthy, high quality, sustainable affordable housing for low- income people in San Francisco.The Handbook is available for free download at Asian Neighborhood Design's website: http://www.andnet.org/materials.htm

DOE's Multifamily Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Toolbox
The Building Technologies Program offers an array of resources to help architects, builders, contractors, building owners and managers, and homeowners make smart choices about energy. The multifamily site has lots of information about impelenting new or retrofit projects.

Natural Resources Defense Council: Green Building From Principle to Practice
The market for high-performance homes and workplaces is soaring. Explore this website to find out how building green can boost your bottom line. Get tips for streamlining design and construction. Learn which strategies deliver the biggest paybacks. And discover ways to get your project noticed.

Multifamily Consortium Participants

Asian Neighborhood Design - Aspen Systems Corporation - CA Council of Churches/ CA Church Impact - CA Dept. of Housing & Community Development - California Energy Commission - CA Youth Energy Services (CYES) - Cardinal Insulated Glass - CBIA - City of Berkeley Housing & Energy Services - City of Moreno Valley - City of Santa Clarita - Community Corporation of Santa Monica - Community Energy Services Corporation - D&R International - Division of Codes & Standards - Energy Solutions - Energy Star Homes (EPA) - Green Resource Center - Heschong Mahone Group - Housing Authority of the County of Riverside - ICF Consulting - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - LISC - Los Angeles Community Design Center - Los Angeles HUD - Non Profit Housing Association of Northern CA - Oakland Housing Authority - Owens Corning - Pacific Gas & Electric - Psychotherapist/ Psychiatrist ABPN - Quinn Cottage Housing - Renewable Energy Development Institute - Richard Heath & Associates - Sacramento Municipal Utility District - Sempra Energy - Solar Electrical Systems - South. California Gas Company - Southern California Edison - STANCO - Strategic Energy Innovations - Summit Bank - The Energy Coalition - US Dept. of Agriculture - Rural Development - US Dept. of Energy Rebuild America

About Us

The multifamily market has been underserved and difficult to reach with energy efficiency services in the past for a variety of reasons. Multifamily owners and developers have limited capital, knowledge and time to plan and implement energy-efficiency projects. Few sites are master metered, and the split incentive often prohibits an energy efficiency retrofit. There are many programs available to multifamily owners and developers to help them overcome these barriers, but few owners or developers have the time or expertise to understand the complex offerings available to them.