Making building improvements requires investments, but there are many available resources to make District projects more financially feasible. Many programs are open to all building types, and some are restricted based on building typology.
Funding and Financing Resources
Special programs
Affordable housing properties should not have to miss out on the benefits of better buildings. The DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU), in partnership with the District Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) and the DC Green Bank, is offering enhanced technical and financial assistance to owners and managers of qualifying affordable multifamily buildings that do not meet the District’s Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS). This assistance is also currently available to houses of worship and senior care communities. Learn more and apply to the Affordable Housing Retrofit Accelerator.
Additionally, the Building Innovation Hub’s Success with BEPS pilot program supports other priority buildings to improve their performance and begin charting their path to meet the BEPS. The program educates owners on their building’s energy performance, informs them of key BEPS milestones, recommends next steps towards compliance, and connects them with further policy and financial assistance through partner organizations. The program launched as a pilot targeting multifamily affordable housing, then expanded to include senior care communities, worship facilities, K-12 private schools, healthcare facilities, condominiums, and co-ops. The program will be growing again soon to welcome new participants, such as class B & C offices and other multifamily properties. Stay tuned for more information.
This program is not designed to operate as an energy services performance contract or a retrofit service, but instead provides light consulting on policy compliance and recommends next steps to building owners.
To learn more about this program, email Yolanda Bonner, Associate Director of Building Performance, at yolanda@buildinginnovationhub.org.
How to Implement a BPS Assistance Program for Under-Resourced Buildings
The Success with BEPS program is garnering increased interest from other jurisdictions with building performance policies. Read this report for more details on how it works.