Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven (NHS) and the New Haven HomeOwnership Center (HOC), received a total of $13,000 in contributions from United Illuminating and Southern Connecticut Gas Company under Connecticut’s Neighborhood Assistance Act tax credit program.
NHS creates affordable, energy-efficient homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers. Their houses are rehabilitation projects and new construction, placing an emphasis on energy conservation. These comprehensive energy efficiency measures help new homeowners to avoid costly retrofits after they take title to their houses. The energy conservation measures help homeowners save on their energy consumption. Installation of innovative, energy-saving technology such as hybrid heat pump water heaters, highly efficient HVAC systems, premium insulation, solar tube lighting and compliance with Energy Star 3.0 standards ensure that homeowners save money.
The Energy Grants are intended to help homeowners undertake critical home energy conservation improvements to their properties even if they don’t qualify for other financing options. A resident seeking a Supplemental Energy Grant initially follows the same process as the standard I Heart My Home CT program. If a homeowner meets the program guidelines, the Supplemental Energy Grant will work together with any other available financing options, including other grants and forgivable loan assistance programs, to ensure that energy upgrades are accessible to all eligible participants.
Most New Haven residents live in older housing that needs improvements to the building envelope such as air sealing, insulation, or energy-efficient windows and doors. Within the building envelope, efficient HVAC systems, water heating technologies, and other energy conservation features contribute further to keep homes comfortable and healthy. NAA-supported grants through I Heart My Home CT will improve the comfort and health of the homes of income-eligible participants, lower their utility bills, and help us collectively move toward the State-mandated greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 80% below 2001 levels by 2030.
United Illuminating (UI), Southern Connecticut Gas (SCG) and Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG) — all subsidiaries of AVANGRID, Inc. — distributed a total of $450,000 in grants to 65 organizations.
The grants, made possible by Connecticut’s Neighborhood Assistance Act (NAA) Tax Credit Program, are aimed at helping nonprofit community and neighborhood organizations across the state improve energy efficiency and reduce their energy costs.
Since 2010, UI, SCG and CNG has awarded $4.2 million in grants through the NAA Program, which offers a corporate tax credit to encourage businesses to provide financial support to qualified local nonprofit organizations.
“As we prepare to celebrate the holidays during these unprecedented times, we are mindful of the many people in our communities who are suffering as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic – and of the important roles nonprofit organizations play in supporting them,” said Frank Reynolds, President of UI, SCG and CNG. “This program allows us to help our nonprofit partners achieve ongoing energy savings, allowing our partners to focus their resources on the critical programs and services that they provide.”
The 2021 NAA grants support a wide variety of projects undertaken by community organizations across the UI, SCG and CNG service territories. A full listing of the projects supported can be found at NAA tax credit program.
