Special to the Gazette
The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC), in collaboration with Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP), MassHousing and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Massachusetts, is announcing the fourth round of funding awards under the Climate Ready Housing program.
Among those receiving awards is the Forbes Building in Jamaica Plain. These funds will enable affordable housing properties across several Massachusetts communities to significantly lower their energy use and costs through energy retrofits and electrification. The grant program will advance physical upgrades to a crucial segment of the state’s housing stock, improving indoor air quality and comfort for residents.
“This program allows us to upgrade affordable housing units across the state to reduce energy usage, lower bills and improve public health,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Together with the Legislature, we’ve increased the number of homes we are able to upgrade, and I know that residents will see the positive impacts of this investment.”
“These awards are about practical fixes that make a real difference and help homes stay safe and comfortable through New England winters and summers,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We’re proud to partner with local leaders and housing owners to modernize our housing supply and lower costs for people.”
“Massachusetts can’t meet its housing goals without preserving and modernizing the affordable homes we already have,” said Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus. “Climate Ready Housing helps owners tackle big-ticket upgrades — from insulation and electrification to next-generation heating and cooling — so residents get cleaner air, reliable systems and more predictable costs. With support from MHP, MassHousing and LISC, we’re scaling this work statewide and keeping affordability and quality at the center of every project.”
The Healey-Driscoll Administration’s 2024 Affordable Homes Act increased annual Climate Ready Housing funding tenfold from the program’s earlier pilot rounds, resulting in $20.5 million available for this fourth round. The program enables deep energy retrofits and decarbonization projects in the affordable housing sector that benefit low- and moderate-income residents.
Projects submitted for this funding opportunity pursued one of two decarbonization approaches:
Deep Energy Retrofits (DER) — This approach requires extensive building envelope improvements, electrification of building systems and maximization of on-site renewable energy production. Projects achieve at least 50% energy savings and significant carbon emissions reductions.
Zero Carbon Emissions Over Time (ZOT) — This approach focuses on projects with thoughtful strategies for reducing emissions over time in alignment with planned upgrades. Projects propose strategic, short-term interventions that contribute to a long-term, comprehensive plan to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050.
MHP and MassHousing provide funding administration and application support on behalf of HLC. Additional application and programmatic support is provided by LISC Massachusetts.
“In these uncertain times, the commonwealth’s commitment to preserve critical affordable housing resources, improve the quality of life for vulnerable residents and move us toward meeting our climate commitments is more important than ever,” said MHP Executive Director Clark Ziegler. “This $20 million investment supports those outcomes for more than 1,000 units of housing serving low-income individuals and families. We celebrate these innovative projects and the commitment of their collective teams to realizing climate-ready housing.”
“Achieving long-term energy affordability means retrofitting the affordable homes that we have today to make them more efficient to heat and cool and more comfortable to live in, while reducing fossil fuel consumption,” said Chrystal Kornegay, CEO of MassHousing. “These awards are an important component of our larger work to preserve and modernize the state’s affordable housing stock. And they demonstrate how our clean energy priorities and affordable housing agenda work together to create a more affordable Massachusetts.”
“Sustainable and energy-efficient homes are safe, healthy and affordable homes,” said LISC Massachusetts Executive Director Gustavo Quiroga. “The historic investment by the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s Affordable Homes Act to increase the Climate Ready Housing program and related resources for affordable housing owners is critical to achieving our state’s housing and energy goals. LISC Massachusetts is proud of our work and partnership on this important program in its fourth year of helping preserve and improve essential housing in service of forging inclusive and resilient communities of opportunity across Massachusetts.”
The Forbes Building — Affirmative Investments, LLC: $2,000,000
Affirmative Investments will receive CRH funding for the deep energy retrofit it plans at a 147-unit senior/disabled community in Jamaica Plain. The project will incorporate decarbonization measures, address climate resilience, drive ecological regeneration and enhance residents’ living experience, and is expected to result in a 66% annual site energy use reduction.
The decarbonization of Massachusetts’ existing buildings is a key component of the state’s strategy to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The Climate Ready Housing program will catalyze significant investments in the built environment and leverage other federal, state and local funding to help affordable housing developments lower emissions and energy use.
The next round of Climate Ready Housing is expected to open in March 2026.