Helping families stay in their homes
In Portland, 37% of homeowners and nearly half of all renters are housing-cost burdened. That means they spend more than 30% of their income on housing-related expenses. The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) proposed Strategic Program 3: Clean Energy Improvements in Single-Family Homes (SP 3) to help housing-cost-burdened Portlanders address energy efficiency in their homes and reduce costs. On May 22, 2024, City Council unanimously approved the program.
This program will invest $140 million over five years in more than 3,000 single-family households to:
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
- decrease energy usage and utilities bills;
- increase comfort, health, and resiliency; and
- improve homeowner stability.
Creating jobs. Building capacity.
In addition to reducing the risk of displacement of families, SP 3 will also provide opportunities in green jobs for those historically left behind. More than $3.5 million will be allocated to workforce and contractor development, training more than 350 workers and providing retention grants for up to 80 new workers and 50 contractors.
Next steps
The program will solicit requests for proposals for three roles: Central Program Administrator, Customer Navigators, and Quality Assurance Providers.
The Central Program Administrator, in close coordination with PCEF, will provide:
- marketing and outreach;
- data management and reporting;
- customer application and qualification;
- program relationship management and conflict resolution;
- contractor recruitment, management, and support; and
- workforce on-the-job training and retention program.
Customer Navigators will provide:
- program navigation for households with up to 80% of area median income,
- culturally specific customer engagement and support,
- translations, and
- occupant education.
Third-party Quality Assurance Providers will provide:
- scope review and approval,
- site inspection and verification to ensure occupant safety and greenhouse gas emissions reduction, and
- contractor price monitoring.
We’re just getting started
With 16 strategic programs and more than $180 million in Community Grants in the Climate Investment Plan, we’re moving toward a more climate-resilient Portland.
Follow our progress. Bookmark our page.
Watch the first hearing online.