Evaluation of the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program

The Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R), at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is proposing the collection of information to support an evaluation of the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP). GRRP is a newly funded program through Section 30002 of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 titled “Improving Energy Efficiency or Water Efficiency or Climate Resilience of Affordable Housing.” $60 million is appropriated to HUD for “information technology, research and evaluation, and administering and overseeing the implementation” (P.L. 117-169; see full statutory text in Appendix H). In addition, $42.5 million is appropriated to HUD for “energy and water benchmarking of properties eligible to receive grants or loans under this section, regardless of whether they actually received such grants or loans, along with associated data analysis and evaluation at the property and portfolio level, and the development of information technology systems necessary for the collection, evaluation, and analysis of such data” (P.L. 117-169). Eligible properties include all properties under HUD-assisted programs Section 202, Section 811, Section 236, and project-based Section 8. Key research questions to be addressed in the evaluation include: 1. Do property owners want the resources (loans and grants) that are offered through GRRP? Are the funds addressing the right needs? What flexibilities are needed? 2. How can HUD balance reaching owners with properties most in need of upgrading, who may not have the capacity to leverage the funds offered through GRRP, with achieving the energy, carbon, and resilience goals of the program? 3. Once awarded, what challenges do owners face in developing their scope of work, engaging with residents, and completing benchmarking and other program requirements? 4. How did procurement and construction go for GRRP compared to past rehabilitations? How are investments and installed equipment being maintained? 5. How satisfied are owners with the outcomes? 6. Have the intended improvements in energy efficiency been achieved, and at what relationship of benefit to cost? 7. Have the intended improvements in resilience been achieved, and at what relationship of benefit to cost? 8. What information beyond raw energy and water usage data is needed to understand consumption and efficiency trends in HUD-assisted multifamily properties? The Evaluation of Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP Evaluation) will be implemented in phases. Under Phase 1, HUD plans to collect survey and interview data related to the application process, the scoping and design phase of GRRP, and the post-construction period. In addition, benchmarking data for energy and water usage will be collected using a survey. Phase 1 data collection will help address research questions 1-5, and 8 (above). Data collection to address research questions 6-7 (above) will come in the later phase to be accompanied by a separate PRA clearance. Phase 1 data collection is planned to start in March 2024 for benchmarking and June 2024 for the other components. Phase 2 data collection is planned to start no earlier than summer 2026.

The latest form for Evaluation of the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program expires 2027-05-31 and is listed under ICR 202412-2528-005.

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Federal Enterprise Architecture: Community and Social Services - Community and Regional Development