NYCHA Sustainability Agenda: 2017 Progress Report

Strategy S1: Attract investments for capital improvements

NYCHA is well on the way toward its goal of obtaining $300 million via HUD Energy Performance Contracts (EPCs). Two EPCs totaling $150 million have been submitted to HUD for approval, and two more are on track to be submitted this year.

And since Earth Day 2016 NYCHA has secured:

• $56 million in private financing for HUD Energy Performance Contracts (EPCs)
• $1 million in NY State Weatherization (WAP) grants, with energy audits for another $14 million in new WAP projects underway

Strategy S2: Raise revenues through clean and distributed energy projects

NYCHA recently received a grant of $3.2 million from NYSERDA for Combined Heat and Power installations at up to 6 developments; the sites will be selected shortly.

This fall, NYCHA will invite solar developers to propose photovoltaic installations on NYCHA property in exchange for lease payments. This RFP will be the first of an anticipated series to meet the Renew300 commitment of 25 MW over 10 years.

Strategy S3: Create healthy indoor environments

Implement a Comprehensive Mold Response Initiative: NYCHA has launched Mold Busters, a pilot program that trains NYCHA staff to find the root causes of mold and eliminate them. The pilot will run from May 1, 2017 to April 30, 2018 and will include 38 developments in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx. Results will be evaluated by a Columbia University researcher.

Require low- and no-VOC caulks, paints, coatings, and adhesives: NYCHA has updated the Design Guidelines for the Rehabilitation of NYCHA Residential Buildings to require low-and no-volatile organic compound (VOC) caulks, paints, primers, coatings, and adhesives for all capital projects in apartment interiors.

Reduce exposure to secondhand smoke at home: NYCHA has launched an initiative to educate residents about the health risks of exposure to secondhand smoke and has expanded access to services for smokers who want to quit. NYCHA sought feedback and ideas on smoking and health from residents in every borough and will adopt a smoke-free housing policy in 2018 to comply with HUD rules.

Train property managers in practices that promote healthy homes: In summer 2016, the Urban Green Council Sustainability Boot Camp  provided “GPro” energy-efficiency training to almost 200 NYCHA staff members.  The program was a joint effort of The Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, REBNY, BOMA NY, Urban Green Council, and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City.

Strategy S4: Efficiently provide comfortable and reliable heat and hot water

Improve heating and hot water systems through smart building technology: In April CUNY’s Building Performance Lab will submit a report recommending upgrades of NYCHA’s heating controls. Meanwhile, NYCHA has continued to expand the use of indoor temperature sensors. About 4 percent of buildings that can benefit from the technology currently have the sensors; 28 percent are expected to have them by 2019.

Thoroughly test and tune all building systems regularly: NYC DOB has approved NYCHA’s alternative compliance plan for Local Law 87 retro-commissioning that would enable all buildings covered by the law to file by 2020. NYCHA is also working to include retro-commissioning in regular inspections.

Enhance training and professional development for Heating Management staff: This Spring the Building Performance Lab is designing a training program for Heating Management staff that would provide a multi-year professional development path.

Strategy S5: Improve water management

Install water meters in all developments: DEP has started the installation of 540 meters at 500 NYCHA buildings. All NYCHA buildings will have meters in place by 2019.

Understand the patterns of water consumption: NYCHA and DEP are partnering on a NYSERDA-funded a water consumption study that will take place during 2018-2019 at South Jamaica Houses.  The study will coincide with EPC-funded energy upgrades and a DEP green infrastructure installation.

Replace outdated fixtures and update purchasing standards: NYCHA has now updated its purchasing standards to match the NYC affordable housing standard for toilets (1.28 gallons per flush), showerheads (1.5 gallons per minute), and bathroom faucets (1 gallon per minute).

In addition, NYCHA worked closely with HUD to develop a way to include water conservation improvements, including ultra-high efficiency toilets in our EPCs. NYCHA has been testing ultra-high efficiency toilets (0.8 gpf vs. 1.6 gpf for standard toilets) in 14 apartments since 2016. Another 84 test toilets will be installed in the next four months.

Strategy S6: Adopt a comprehensive waste management plan

Install recycling infrastructure throughout NYCHA’s portfolio: In 2016, NYCHA completed the installation of 1,500 recycling bins. All NYCHA developments now have recycling infrastructure.

Complete a waste characterization study by 2017: NYCHA has convened an inter-agency advisory group to oversee the waste characterization study. The study will be conducted this summer, with results available by year-end.

Strategy S7: Adopt sustainability standards

In April 2016, NYCHA adopted the New York City Overlay to the Enterprise Green Communities Criteria as the green standard for new construction. The Criteria provided the foundation for the Design Guidelines for Rehabilitation of NYCHA Residential Buildings released last December.

Strategy S8: Eliminate roof, façade, and plumbing leaks

In January 2017, Mayor de Blasio announced that the City will invest $1 Billion to replace roofs at more than 700 NYCHA buildings

Strategy S9: Retrofit master-planned developments

As noted above in Goal 1 Strategy S1, a $56 million EPC for 16 developments was approved by HUD in December 2016 and started lighting installations in April. A $16 million lighting installation in Brooklyn, part of a $94 million, 19-development EPC currently under HUD review, will be completed in May. NYCHA plans to submit two more EPCs for HUD approval later this year.

Strategy S10: Retrofit scattered-site developments

Sunset Park Redevelopment Corporation (SPRC), a NY State Weatherization (WAP) agency, completed energy efficiency upgrades at Howard Avenue Houses this past March. This was the first time in the 40 year history of WAP that NYCHA buildings have benefitted from the program. SPRC will begin upgrades at Belmont-Sutter Houses in May. Six additional WAP agencies are currently conducting energy audits of 18 developments comprising 2,238 apartments.

Strategy S11: Build green infrastructure

DEP expects to complete the green infrastructure (GI) installation at Edenwald Houses, the largest GI installation in the city, by end of 2017. Additional developments are under assessment.

Strategy S12: Incorporate climate change resiliency into capital planning

Enterprise Community Partners, an affordable housing non-profit, and DNV GL, a technical consultancy, will soon conduct resiliency studies at NYCHA developments.

Beginning in May, the Enterprise Building Resilience Assessment Program (BRAP) will asses the resilience of 12 NYCHA buildings and recommend ways to protect the buildings from extreme weather and disruption.

DNV GL will make similar assessments on 10 NYCHA buildings. Their report, which is expected to be available by the end of 2018, will also address environmental justice issues and the social impacts of extreme weather.

Strategy S13: Support resident- and community-led sustainability

Promote healthy food access through resident-led urban agriculture: Farms at NYCHA was launched in 2016 and built three new farms to expand healthy food access, provide youth workforce and leadership development, and promote sustainable and connected public housing communities. The program teaches young public housing residents how to build and maintain farms that serve fellow residents. Last year the program’s four farms harvested 12,400 pounds of fresh produce, and residents contributed more than 3,000 pounds of food scraps for composting.

Strategy S14: Connect residents to green jobs

NYCHA employed 28 residents to work on energy efficiency projects. As NYCHA begins construction on more of these projects, we expect to hire more than 50 residents through Section 3 by 2019.

In partnership with The Department of Sanitation’s Bureau of Recycling and Sustainability, the NYCHA Resident Training Academy (NRTA) trained 148 janitorial trainees on NYCHA’s new recycling initiatives. In addition to a 6-hour recycling workshop, the training included a half day visit to the Sunset Park Materials Recovery Facility operated by Sims.

Strategy S15: Create an 80 x 50 roadmap

In 2016, NYCHA, as part of the HUD Better Buildings Challenge, committed to reduce its energy use per square foot by 20 percent by 2026. NYCHA also joined the NYC Carbon Challenge to reduce GHG emissions 30 percent by 2027.

NYCHA has engaged Steven Winter Associates, who have provided similar technical assistance to the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, to help develop a long-term energy strategy that takes NYCHA’s capital planning process and constraints into account.

Strategy S16: Create incentives to encourage new low-energy buildings

Strategy S17: Test “deep” energy retrofit technologies

In order to test new technologies, NYCHA and the Mayor’s Office of Technology Innovation (MOTI) conducted the first two Calls for Innovations, which requested proposals to reduce in-apartment electricity consumption and improve efficiency of heating and hot water systems that use ConEd district steam. Three proposers were selected to conduct pilot installations in 2017-2018.