Residents of the Woodlen Place Apartments in Kansas City, Missouri, could soon see lower energy bills thanks to a new batch of federal aid aimed at cutting housing costs while also tackling the climate crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The housing complex, consisting of 16 townhomes, is slated to get new energy efficient windows and insulation. The units\u2019 old heating and cooling systems will be replaced by air-source heat pumps and heat pump water heaters, a technology that can help reduce electricity use, along with the associated greenhouse gas emissions. Some of the buildings will have solar arrays installed to further reduce energy consumption and lower overall utility costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those renovations will be paid for with a $3.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD. Earlier this month, the federal agency announced more than $69 million in new grants<\/a> to 10 developers across the country who will use the money to install new clean energy systems, improve energy efficiency and better fortify their buildings against the consequences of climate change, including more frequent and intense heat waves and floods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis would not have been feasible without this resource,\u201d said Julie Klump, vice president of design and building performance at the Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), the nonprofit developer that owns and operates Woodlen Place Apartments. \u201cPOAH has a continued focus on energy efficiency and sustainability goals that often cannot be met without additional resources.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n