HUD and the Department of Energy have had a long-standing partnership aimed at streamlining access of HUD-assisted multifamily and public housing properties to DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). On January 25, 2010, the Department of Energy implemented a new rule at 10 CFR 440.22(b)(4) for its Weatherization Assistance Program. The rule was a result of a partnership between HUD and DOE on May 6, 2009, aimed at streamlining the use of Recovery Act weatherization funds in HUD-assisted buildings.
Under the rule, if a public housing, assisted multi-family building is identified by HUD and included on a list published by DOE, that building meets DOE's weatherization program income requirements without the need for further evaluation or verification - and may also meet certain other program requirements.
Program requirements for the Weatherization Assistance Programs are set and administered by the Department of Energy's Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SECP). Information about program regulations and guidance and information on how the weatherization program works can be found on DOE's website.
In December 2021, HUD and DOE further simplified and streamlined the procedures for income qualifying HUD-assisted properties for weatherization assistance. DOE published Weatherization Program Notice WPN 22-5 that provides for “categorical income eligibility” for HUD-assisted households for DOE Weatherization Assistance Program. This means that any household that has been income qualified for rental assistance or any other means-tested HUD program (e.g. HOME-funded housing rehabilitation, Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Housing Grants, or CDBG-funded home repairs) will be accepted as income-qualified for WAP assistance, i.e. without the need for further income verification. For multifamily HUD-assisted buildings, it is no longer needed for owners to verify the income of each individual household, provided that the household has been qualified for rental assistance.
In order to qualify for whole-building weatherization, multifamily buildings must, however, still show that 66% of a HUD-assisted building (50% for a 2-4 unit building) is income qualified, using the procedures outlined in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) accompanying WPN 22-5. HUD provides listings of income eligible assisted multifamily housing or public housing for posting on DOE’s web site, pursuant to the requirements of 10.CFR.22(b)(4). HUD also provides lists of properties that may need further income verification. Note also that when the property consists of more than one building, each building must be individually verified as income eligible.
DOE Notice WPN 22-5 on categorical income eligibility for HUD-assisted means-tested households, the accompanying FAQ for multifamily income qualification procedures, as well as lists of income-eligible HUD-assisted multifamily and public housing properties are provided here.
Note: A building that has been determined to be income-qualified, or is included on the HUD-DOE list of income-qualified buildings, means only that the building meets DOEs income qualifications; it does not mean that the building has been approved for funding, or that it meets other multifamily affordability and benefits tests required by DOE: multifamily owners or PHAs must still apply for weatherization assistance, working through their local weatherization provider. Funding availability will be contingent on available resources, program priorities, and/or whether the local provider has the capacity to serve multifamily buildings.
Effective April 22, 2010 local weatherization agencies are required to comply with EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair and Repainting (RRP) requirements for most pre-1978 residences or child-occupied facilities. HUD's Lead Safe Housing Rule may also apply when weatherizing pre-1978 HUD-assisted and public housing if certain conditions are met. These are described here.
For questions about project eligibility or other policy or implementation issues pertaining to weatherizing HUD supported public housing and multifamily properties, please refer to DOE's web site.
If you have questions, please direct them to energyaction@hud.gov.
Content current as of August 15, 2024.