More than 58,000 affordable housing units have been electrified or made ready for electric systems under New York’s five-year housing plan, state housing officials said Friday. Another 10,000 units are in the pipeline through an expanded sustainability initiative.
Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas announced the totals during Climate Week. The agency said the work includes 44,000 existing homes and 14,000 new multifamily apartments, combining construction, renovations and energy-conservation programs.
The total includes both homes already using electric systems and homes made electric-ready; the agency did not say all 58,000 are fully electric. HCR said its programs are intended to reduce energy use and costs while helping buildings move away from fossil fuels.
Visnauskas said the measures are helping tenants, homeowners and building owners save energy while improving housing quality and comfort. The announcement did not provide a uniform dollar savings estimate for each household.
Several programs contribute to the total
The Climate Friendly Homes Fund is a $250 million, five-year initiative intended to electrify 10,000 homes.
HCR’s federally funded weatherization initiatives have provided energy-efficiency upgrades to nearly 29,000 homes, apartments and multifamily buildings. Department of Energy funding supports renovations and retrofits meant to reduce heating and cooling costs for low-income residents.
Multifamily development programs, including the Clean Energy Initiative, have produced more than 14,020 newly constructed fully electric apartments. Another 7,600 units in existing buildings have been renovated and are now fully electric, HCR said.
The Climate Friendly Homes Fund and Sustainable Futures Program also support installation of energy-efficient heat pumps in nearly 8,000 homes and apartments across the state. The agency said additional installations are planned.
The program figures describe different parts of HCR’s work. The release does not present them as separate, nonoverlapping totals that can be added together.
Housing plan enters its final year
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s $25 billion, five-year housing plan is in its final year. Its goals include creating or preserving 100,000 affordable and supportive homes and electrifying an additional 50,000 units statewide.
The electrification target is part of a broader plan to electrify 1 million homes and make another 1 million ready for electrification.
Earlier in the week, Hochul announced plans for a second $1 billion installment of the Sustainable Future Program. HCR said it matches the previous year’s investment and will fund parts of the state’s climate plan intended to make the energy transition more affordable.
HCR is using its share to help eligible homes obtain affordable energy-efficiency upgrades, including heat pumps. The agency said another 10,000 units are set to be electrified through the recently expanded initiative.
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