Welcome to our inaugural HDC Sustainability Update! This feature that will aggregate sustainability opportunities available to our members. HDC’s Sustainable Buildings Initiative collaborates with partners throughout the affordable housing community to achieve decarbonization by supporting efforts to build and rehabilitate housing that is electrified, highly energy and water efficient, uses clean and safe materials, and considers new advances in building methods. We hope this section will be helpful to spread opportunities for support from the HDC Task Force learnings and educational outreach, AND importantly, the variety of technical and funding assistance offered through multiple sources in our region and statewide.

Technical Assistance

• Seattle Multifamily Energy Code: Economical Options for Compliance  – sign up now to join this in person seminar on October 16^th with representatives from Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, Weber Thompson, Delta F Consulting, and Ecotope. Programming developed by Seattle City Light’s Electrification& Strategic Technology Division.
• Seattle Building Emissions Performance Standard Navigator Program is starting its next Multifamily Building Cohort Training on October 22.

Funding Opportunities

• Clean Energy Grants now available!  Applications are due November 4. Washington State Department of Commerce is offering free feasibility study technical assistance and pre-application workshops to assist potential applicants. Project examples include: Solar, Energy storage, Grid resilience, Wind, Biomass, Renewable hydrogen, Geothermal, and other technology that uses renewable resources to enhance Washington’s clean energy economy. Approximately $32 million is available to public and private entities; and, approximately $9 million is available to tribal applicants.
• Washington State Department of Commerce is accepting applications for clean energy siting and permitting grants. Award range: $30,000 – $1,200,000; total available: $4.85M. Eligible applicants include: Special-purpose districts, municipal or quasi-municipal corporations, and federally recognized tribes.

Education Events & SignUps

• See Technical Assistance above for Seattle Multifamily Energy Code: Economical Options for Compliance event registration
• Sign up to receive regular updates from Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment to stay aware of deadlines, tools and featured opportunities.
• Tour Northlake Commons with 2030 Districts, on October 16 at 4pm (PDT). This event will share Seattle Public Utilities’ Beyond Code Program that provides support and financial incentive to exceed stormwater code requirements.

Updates

• HDC DAHN 2025 Learn at Lunch Series continues! Check this link to find prior sessions’ YouTube replays, presentations and resource links. The postponed Multifamily Homes Program for Building Upgrades will be rescheduled soon with a new registration link.
• Washington State Department of Commerce has selected Guidehouse to serve as IRA HOME Rebate administrator. Learn more about the Qualified Contractor Network – and how this program component will expand opportunities for practitioners and tools for building owners/operators.
• Washington State Department of Commerce is seeking feedback on the Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard.
• Electric Storage Water Heater standards will be getting an update to reflect more recent versions of ANSI/CTA-2045-A standards. Here’s a link to additional information from Washington State Department of Commerce.

This section, and our website resources around this robust topic, are evolving. We look forward to improving this feature based upon the feedback of our members.