October 2, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Thom Amdur
National Housing & Rehabilitation Association
202-939-1753
tamdur@housingonline.com
WASHINGTON, DC ““ National Housing & Rehabilitation Association (“NH&RA”) proudly announces a major new educational initiative to provide owners of multifamily affordable rental properties with resources, training and technical assistance to aid them in improving the utility performance of their properties. The Preservation Through Energy Efficiency Project, is being developed by the Association’s Council for Energy Friendly Affordable Housing and is partially supported with a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Its components include five regional forums as well as the creation of an online “Knowledge Exchange” where owners and energy finance and retrofit experts can convene virtually to exchange knowledge and experiences.
“Energy efficiency measures are a key tool to sustaining the long-term financial sustainability of our nation’s affordable rental housing portfolio,” says NH&RA Executive Director Thom Amdur. “This initiative will provide developers and owners with the tools and resources they need to initiate cost-effective energy and water efficiency improvements across their portfolios. Our goal is to provide owners with actionable models, funding tools and a network of experienced service providers so that they can initiate changes in how they assess, finance and operate their portfolios.”
“We could not have done this without the generous support of the MacArthur Foundation whose vision always seems to be a step ahead of usual thinking,” continues Amdur. “We are grateful to them for their generous support.”
The training is designed to educate senior executives at private and non-profit development companies with an emphasis on those developing properties financed using low-income housing tax credits, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s rental assistance programs or the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service programs. Critical components will include assessment of individual property needs, financing tools, navigation of regulatory barriers, resident education, and operations and maintenance.
Program participants will include developers and owners as well as property managers, debt and equity providers, state housing finance agencies, federal housing officials, utility companies, ESCOs, energy auditors and consultants, renewable energy professionals, building technology providers, attorneys, accountants and more.
NH&RA is in the process of developing the program with the help of an expert Advisory Board and intends to convene the first of five forums in the first quarter of 2014.
NH&RA continues to solicit sponsors, partners and subject matter experts. Interested parties should contact Thom Amdur at 202-939-1753 or tamdur@housingonline.com.
You can learn more about the Preservation Through Energy Efficiency Project at www.housingonline.com.
About NH&RA
Formed in 1971, NH&RA is a national trade association comprised of some of the most active developers, owners and professionals involved in the development, ownership, finance and structuring of multifamily affordable rental housing. The association places a strong emphasis on informational exchange with an emphasis on actionable transaction-oriented information and analysis. You can learn more about NH&RA at www.housingonline.com.
About CEFAH
The Council for Energy Friendly Affordable Housing is a working group of some of the most active owners, managers and consultants of affordable housing. NH&RA launched CEFAH as a means to achieve policy changes to affordable housing programs that will facilitate owners’ abilities to retrofit and upgrade properties to achieve a higher degree of energy efficiency and utility cost savings.
