EJ and frontline organizations should determine the types of renewable installations and energy efficient upgrades that are prioritized in the policy dependent on the housing demographics of their communities.
- Renters: Catering to renters and tenants is often appropriate for communities in dense urban areas with high renter constituents.
- Advocates need to design policies to fit the unique characteristics of publicly supported rental homes and account for cases where renters are not responsible for paying bills. For example, master-metered affordable housing, which comprises approximately 55% of affordable housing nationally.
- Advocates should consider community solar model, virtual net metering, or Community Choice Aggregation (CCA).
- In the Vision for Community Solar: A Roadmap for 2030, “There are 50 million (43 percent—or nearly half) households across the country that are considered low-to-moderate income. Community solar provides the flexibility to deliver clean energy access to all low-to-moderate income (LMI) customers, including renters and multifamily housing—of which LMI households are more likely to occupy.”[1]
- Single family homes: Typically catered to EJ communities in rural, “sub-rural,” or “sub-urban” areas. Model may be net metering or CCA.
- Mobile homes: The clean tech industry has not often targeted mobile homes in policies. However, many low-income communities reside in mobile homes. California is considering policies to target energy efficiency for mobile homes.
100% regenerative policies should include anti-displacement and anti-gentrification policy components. If there are improvements to buildings and communities due to the development of renewable energy, the policy should ensure that:
- Rents are not raised
- Anti-displacement provisions are included (see Advance Anti-Displacement and Anti-Gentrification section)
