How Communities Can Support the Greening of Affordable Housing: Reducing the Landlord/ Tenant Split Incentive
Why would a landlord invest in weatherization or energy efficiency upgrades, if tenants pay their electricity bills directly? The effects of this ‘split incentive’ (when one party pays, but another party benefits) are especially consequential in decades-old multifamily buildings that are a staple of affordable housing in New England cities and towns. Municipal leaders and community-based organizations are working with landlord owner-operators and property managers to find solutions to this challenge.
This Carsey Policy Hour was offered jointly with the New England Municipal Sustainability (NEMS) Network, a consortium of New England cities and towns that collaborate to build more sustainable communities. First, we heard from Troy Moon, Director of Sustainability, on how the City of Portland, Maine, has worked to ‘green’ existing multifamily rental properties. Next, Henry Love, Vice President of Strategy at Elevate Energy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to making the clean energy economy accessible to everyone, shared lessons from Elevate's experiences working with building owners and community leadership across the country. Ellen Lurie Hoffman, Director of Carsey’s Center for Impact Finance and a leader in affordable housing policy, facilitated the session.
Watch the Video
- View the presentation: Addressing Landlord/Tenant Split Incentives
- View the presentation: Supporting Tenants in Market Rate Rental Housing
Troy Moon is Director of Sustainability for the City of Portland, Maine. His office leads efforts to implement strategies outlined in the City's climate action plan, One Climate Future. These include programs to promote energy efficiency and beneficial electrification in commercial and residential buildings as well as programs to enhance resilience in order to prepare the City and its residents for the impacts of climate change.
Hank Love is Vice President of Strategy for Elevate Energy, located in Chicago, Illinois. In this role, he leads Elevate’s national municipal and community-based work. The programs launched by Elevate in new markets will become part of a national network of affordable multifamily energy efficiency implementers that offer building owners comprehensive energy efficiency services that result in reliable and persistent energy and water savings.
