A Texas affordable housing community advised by COREvolution will replace gas-driven appliances, water heaters and air conditioning systems with all-electric, green technology thanks to a $14.5 million federal grant.
The grant is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP), which awarded $279 million to more than 40 properties in 23 states in October.
COREvolution is a design and consulting team launched by National CORE to develop and implement cost-efficient and sustainable design in multi-family affordable housing.
The 562-resident community, called Countryside Village, will install electric clothes washers, heat pump-powered clothes dryers and water heating systems, induction cooking ranges and LED lighting. Solar panels will go in atop roofs and carports.
“This new technology will boost the health and quality of life for residents at Countryside Village,” said Tim Kohut, COREvolution’s executive director and director of sustainability for National CORE. “These changes will eliminate toxins that accompany natural gas, reduce the community’s reliance on scarce resources and lower utility costs.”
Countryside Village’s residents live in a mix of 182 single-level apartments, multi-floor townhomes and duplexes. The community is 66% female and 88% African American. Residents earn between 30% and 60% of the area median income (AMI).
“Too often, technological advancements bypass our most vulnerable communities,” Kohut said. “But grants like this one are working to change that. Many of the Countryside families include young children who deserve the healthiest and safest environments in which to grow.”