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The document argues that curbside charging is a critical alternative for renters and multifamily housing residents who lack private off-street parking. It emphasizes that successful deployment requires early engagement with 'program stakeholders' (government and private entities) and 'community stakeholders' (residents and local organizations) to navigate the complexities of urban infrastructure. The guide outlines four business models—'own and operate', 'lease', 'external operator', and 'concession'—noting that the choice depends on whether the city prioritizes program control, financial risk mitigation, or specific goals like addressing 'EV charging deserts'. It also suggests community engagement tools such as surveys, pop-ups, and dedicated websites to build trust and correct EV misconceptions.

The Multi-Family Housing Tracker documents the significant increase in private equity ownership of U.S. apartment complexes, noting that 228 identified firms own nearly 3 million units, or approximately 13% of the national total. The report highlights a heavy concentration in Sunbelt states and metropolitan areas, correlating these regions with sharp increases in 'cost-burdened' renters. It details a business model focused on rapid value increases through rent hikes and additional fees, while documenting widespread tenant complaints regarding poor maintenance, aggressive evictions, and the use of algorithmic pricing software like RealPage. The document concludes with recommendations for landlords, public officials, and institutional investors to implement rent caps, just-cause eviction protections, and responsible investment standards.

This case study examines Michigan's clean community financing ecosystem, highlighting how a dense network of green banks, CDFIs, and state-level initiatives can be coordinated to scale clean energy investments. It identifies key institutional actors, such as Michigan Saves and the Michigan Climate Investment Hub, and discusses the necessity of segment-specific working groups and technical assistance to overcome barriers like high electricity rates and limited specialized labor.

Small EV customers, including multi-family housing residents and small fleet operators, face significant barriers to grid connection, such as unpredictable costs, long timelines, and a lack of technical expertise. To address this, RMI and its partners developed a roadmap focusing on four key areas: enhancing customer educational resources, increasing utility process transparency, collaborating with local governments and industry to streamline permitting and workforce development, and maintaining post-energization customer relationships.

The report identifies a significant 'charging access gap' for U.S. residents in multifamily housing (MFH), who often lack on-site charging and must rely on public infrastructure. Analyzing 69 cities, the study found that no city achieved a 'best in class' ranking, with many cities—particularly in the Upper Midwest and Texas—showing high ratios of MFH units per public charger. The authors argue that this lack of reliable charging is a critical barrier to equitable EV adoption, especially for lower-income and non-white drivers. To address this, the report recommends a combination of EV-ready building codes, right-to-charge laws, curbside charging expansions, and streamlined utility interconnection rules.

In May 2024, the USDA and HUD updated minimum energy standards for new construction, requiring buildings under four stories to meet the 2021 IECC and taller buildings to meet ASHRAE/ANSI Standard 90.1-2019. The report argues that these standards, combined with 45L tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act, make high-performance certifications like ENERGY STAR and Zero-Energy Ready Home (ZERH) financially attractive, particularly for all-electric construction in specific climate zones.

The document argues that current EV charging infrastructure is concentrated in high-income areas, creating a barrier to adoption for lower-income multifamily housing residents. Based on engagement in Portland, Atlanta, and Phoenix, it recommends that stakeholders prioritize community engagement, affordability, multimodal solutions, and inclusive local partnerships to ensure an equitable transition to transportation electrification.

The report identifies significant barriers to 'stacking' (combining) multiple financial incentives for US residential energy retrofits, including complex application processes, inconsistent performance standards, and funding gaps for health and safety repairs. It analyzes the interaction between Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits and rebates, noting that while clean energy retrofits can be more affordable than fossil fuel alternatives after incentives, low-income households often lack the 'tax appetite' to benefit from tax credits. RMI recommends that state program administrators prioritize funding for pre-electrification upgrades, consolidate application processes, and increase allocations for underserved communities and multi-family housing.

The document outlines a framework for SEOs to manage $8.8 billion in federal funding for residential energy retrofits. It emphasizes data-driven design, strategic outreach to underserved communities, and the creation of 'one-stop-shop' support models. Key recommendations include aligning state policies with Justice40 goals, leveraging complementary federal grants, and implementing workforce training to ensure high-quality electrification installations.

The Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) argues that private equity ownership of rental housing increases risks to tenants, citing examples of steep rent hikes, inadequate maintenance, and abusive eviction practices by firms like CIM Group, The Blackstone Group, and Progress Residential. PESP recommends that the FHFA establish a public rental registry for beneficial owners, cap annual rent increases at 3%, mandate habitability standards, and codify tenant rights, including just-cause eviction and the right to organize.

The report argues that discriminatory, car-centric land use policies in the United States have created housing shortages and increased transportation emissions. By implementing reforms such as upzoning, urban infill, and transit-oriented development in Austin, Charlotte, and Denver, RMI finds that vehicle miles traveled can be reduced by up to 13%, building energy use by up to 16%, and local greenhouse gas emissions by up to 14% compared to business-as-usual development.

The document argues that electrifying homes and businesses is a critical pathway to net-zero emissions, noting that these buildings account for 13% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. It highlights high-efficiency heat pumps, smart thermostats, and weatherization as key upgrades that can reduce emissions and lower utility bills. The brief emphasizes that while individual actions are important, systemic support through government incentives, building codes, and financing is necessary to overcome barriers, particularly for low-income households and renters in multifamily housing.

The author contends that the United States faces a critical housing shortage that exacerbates economic inequality, public health risks, and climate change. By removing exclusionary zoning regulations and promoting infill, multi-family, and mixed-use development, the U.S. can reduce transportation emissions—the country's largest carbon source—and create a more equitable urban environment. The text calls for the federal government to incentivize local zoning reform through programs like the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to enable '15-minute neighborhoods' and low-carbon construction.

The report identifies significant barriers to EV adoption for California's multi-unit dwelling (MUD) residents, including outdated electrical infrastructure, split incentives between landlords and tenants, and a lack of private capital. It proposes a multi-pronged approach to increase access through updated building codes, streamlined permitting, utility-led 'make-ready' investments, and the use of low-power Level 1 charging to reduce costs and grid strain. The document emphasizes that achieving California's goal of 5 million zero-emission vehicles by 2030 requires addressing these equity gaps, as MUD residents—particularly renters—will be a critical market segment for growth after 2025.

The report examines the potential of semi-industrialized, prefabricated retrofit packages to reduce the complexity, risk, and cost of zero-energy building upgrades. It specifically analyzes the Dutch model pioneered by Energiesprong, which has applied net-zero retrofit packages to approximately 5,000 multifamily units, and evaluates the availability of similar facade panel and mechanical system innovations in the US market to catalyze large-scale industrialized retrofits.

The report details how private equity firms have aggressively expanded their ownership of U.S. apartment buildings, often employing 'value-added' or 'opportunistic' strategies to maximize returns. These strategies can involve pushing out lower-income tenants through rent hikes and neglect to convert properties into high-rent assets. The document identifies major players like Blackstone, Starwood Capital, and Brookfield Asset Management, noting their shift toward large-scale portfolio acquisitions and the use of high debt levels to finance growth.

The Carol Avenue Apartments in Boston are undergoing a deep energy retrofit scheduled for completion in late 2024. The project focuses on transitioning a 33-unit, 1910-era property from fossil fuel-based systems to a fully electric infrastructure. By combining interior wall insulation, roof upgrades, and the installation of a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system, the property is estimated to reduce energy use by 55 percent. The addition of 65.3 kW of rooftop solar PV is projected to further increase total energy reduction to 64 percent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 41 percent.

The Hano Homes project in Boston aims to transform a multifamily residential building constructed in 1888 into a net-zero energy property through a deep energy retrofit planned for 2023–2024. The strategy involves wrapping the building in a superinsulated exterior shell, replacing gas boilers and water heaters with all-electric heat pump systems, and installing a 100–110 kW rooftop solar PV system. These measures are expected to reduce energy usage by 69% and eliminate operational greenhouse gas emissions, while the use of bio-based insulation is intended to store carbon and reduce embodied emissions.