Energy Innovation Fund Multifamily Pilot Program | Apply Online

Energy Innovation Fund Multifamily Pilot Program (HUD) - Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Energy Innovation Fund Multifamily Pilot Program?

The Energy Innovation Fund Multifamily Pilot Program was a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) discretionary grant opportunity created under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-117). It was designed as a pilot-style competition focused on removing practical and financial barriers to energy retrofits in existing affordable multifamily housing.

What problem was this program trying to solve?

The program targeted the real-world barriers that commonly prevent energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements in affordable multifamily properties. Examples explicitly highlighted include split incentives between owners and tenants, underwriting challenges, limited access to capital, and the complexity of coordinating upgrades across large occupied buildings.

Was the program only about paying for building upgrades?

No. While it related to energy retrofits, the program emphasized innovation in how retrofits are financed and how applied research is used to prove what works in real-world affordable housing settings. The intent was to move beyond standard upgrades and demonstrate models that could become mainstream and scalable.

What were the main goals of the program?

The opportunity described three main goals:

1. Demonstrate solutions to persistent barriers that make it difficult to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements in affordable multifamily properties.
2. Use federal funding to leverage additional resources (such as private capital and/or other public funding) to validate retrofit and financing models and show proof of concept.
3. Include applied research so results could be documented, evaluated, and shared to support broader market adoption of scalable approaches.

How much funding was available?

Estimated funding for the opportunity was $25,000,000.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

Yes. The opportunity included a cost sharing or matching requirement, consistent with the program goal of leveraging other funding sources beyond the federal award.

What type of funding instrument was used?

The funding instrument was a grant.

What activity category did this opportunity fall under?

The activity category aligned with community development and housing.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The opportunity was listed under CFDA 14.319 (Multifamily Energy Innovation Fund). This identifier was used to locate the application package and instructions.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was limited to organizations with demonstrated capacity in affordable multifamily housing, and in several categories it required a minimum scale of impact. Eligible applicants included:

• Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) that run affordable housing development and rehabilitation programs.
• Private or nonprofit entities administering affordable housing development and rehabilitation programs (including technical assistance and capacity building) that manage or direct programs affecting at least 1,000 affordable housing units.
• Special-purpose financing entities, such as housing trust funds, focused primarily on preservation, rehabilitation, and/or construction of affordable rental housing for low-income households.
• Nonprofit or for-profit owners (or consortia) that own or control a portfolio of eligible multifamily properties, with a minimum threshold of 1,000 units impacted.

Was there a minimum portfolio or program size requirement?

Yes. The description emphasizes that the program was designed for applicants with enough operational scale to test models that could be replicated. Specifically, certain eligible applicant categories were required to manage, direct, own, or control efforts impacting at least 1,000 affordable housing units.

What did HUD mean by leveraging additional resources?

Applicants were expected to bring in private capital and/or other public funding in addition to the federal grant. This was intended to validate retrofit and financing models, demonstrate proof of concept, and show that the approach could attract investment beyond HUD funds.

What did the applied research requirement involve?

The opportunity required applied research components so results could be documented, evaluated, and shared. The purpose was to generate evidence and practical lessons that the broader affordable housing market could use to adopt approaches that are mainstream and scalable rather than one-off demonstrations.

When was the opportunity posted and when was the application due?

The opportunity was posted and created on August 22, 2011. The original (and final) application deadline was October 20, 2011.

Was this an ongoing program or a one-time competition?

It was a time-limited competition. The opportunity was archived on October 28, 2011.

Who was the point of contact for accessing the full announcement?

Applicants needing help accessing the full announcement electronically were directed to contact the program point of contact: Theodore K. Toon at (202) 708-0001.

What types of housing did the program focus on?

The program focused on existing affordable multifamily housing and aimed to support energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements in that context.

What kinds of barriers were explicitly named in the opportunity?

The opportunity explicitly referenced barriers such as split incentives between owners and tenants, underwriting challenges, limited access to capital, and the complexity of coordinating upgrades across large occupied buildings.

What was the intended broader impact of the program?

The program aimed to make energy retrofits in affordable multifamily housing easier to finance, easier to implement, and more common nationwide by proving scalable retrofit strategies, pairing financing innovation with applied research, leveraging additional investment, and producing documentation that others could use.