RHLS is joining PULP and other advocates across the state to urge changes in two energy-efficiency programs that impact low-income Pennsylvanians– Act 129 and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). We hope to help eliminate the barriers that prevent vulnerable Pennsylvanians from fully accessing the benefits provided through these programs.
Act 129 requires electric companies to reduce consumption of electricity by either installing or providing incentives for consumers to install energy-efficiency measures. Historically there were challenges in reaching both low-income homeowners and residents of subsidized multifamily properties. Some low-income homeowners can be difficult to reach as many may have significant housing condition issues that must be remedied before energy-efficiency measures can be installed.
Renters in affordable multifamily properties are also largely overlooked– the utilities may be unfamiliar with subsidized properties, cannot find them, or do not offer services that area attractive to the owners.
WAP is a federal program that is administered at the state level. It suffers from challenges similar to Act 129– many low-income homeowners need other repairs before energy-efficiency improvements can be installed and the program has historically undeserved affordable multifamily properties.
As coordinator of the Philadelphia Conservation and Weatherization Collaborative (PWCC), RHLS has joined with PULP and others across the state to urge changes in each of these programs, making them more accessible to low-income individuals and to the owners/managers of affordable multifamily properties. You can read the most recent comments from RHLS/PWCC here.
It now appears very likely that both Act 129 and WAP will be creating stakeholder processes specifically for affordable multifamily properties. We aim to work with the administrative agencies and other advocates across the state to help eliminate the barriers that prevent full access to these programs for affordable multifamily properties.
If you are a developer or manager of an affordable multifamily property with experience attempting to access these resources, interest in trying to access them in the future, or if you have successfully accessed them, please contact Rachel Blake, Associate Director at rblake@rhls.org. We would like to include your experience as we move forward in the commenting process.