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NAHRO Supports Portions of Energy Policy Act of 2002
NAHRO supports some provisions of The Energy Policy Act of 2002, which could help public housing agencies reduce the cost of utilities and improve conservation efforts. The association has written to Congress in support of portions of the bill, H.R. 4.
Energy costs made up 21 percent of public housing operating expenses in fiscal 2001. NAHRO points out that savings could be re-directed to improve housing properties and provide supportive services for residents.
H.R. 4 would offer up to a 20-year payback period for energy efficiency and conservation improvements to public housing. The association notes that this would make improvements in public housing, such as wall insulation, replacement windows and on-site energy generation, financially feasible. Currently, these items are ineligible.
In addition, the bill calls for establishment of an energy office at HUD. NAHRO believes that new energy policies are more likely to succeed with direction and leadership established at the federal level. Such an office, with appropriate data information systems would be highly beneficial to the Public Housing Operating Cost Study researchers, who struggled to find data on utility practices and costs among housing agencies to complete their study.
NAHRO wrote to Reps. Bobby L. Rush (D-IL), Marge Roukema (R-NJ), Michael G. Oxley (R-OH) and John J. LaFalce (D-NY) who are conferees on the bill. On July 27, the Senate-House Conference referred the bill to several House committees: Energy and Commerce, Science, Ways and Means, Resources, Education and the Work Force, Transportation and Infrastructure, Budget, and Financial Services.
For more information, contact NAHRO Policy Analyst Christine Siksa, csiksa@nahro.org, or call 1-877-866-2476, ext. 252. The letter NAHRO wrote to Congress follows:
July 23, 2002
The Honorable Marge Roukema
The Honorable Michael G. Oxley
The Honorable John J. LaFalce
Chair, Housing & Community Opportunity Subcommittee
B-303 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-6052
Dear Representative Roukema:
Subject: Public Housing Provisions in H.R. 4 - The Energy Policy Act of 2000
We are writing to you as a conferee on H.R. 4, The Energy Policy Act of 2002. The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) which represents over 11,000 housing professionals in local housing agencies across the country, supports language in sections 934, 937, and 938 of H.R. 4, The Energy Policy Act of 2002. These sections directly affect public housing. We also support section 940, which calls for a new energy office to be established at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
NAHRO supports assistance to housing agencies to help reduce the cost of utilities, which accounted for 21 percent of agencies' operating expenditures in fiscal 2001, and to improve conservation efforts. These savings could be re-directed to improve public housing properties and provide supportive services for residents. Many housing authorities are taking advantage of performance contracting to make capital improvements for conservation and efficiency, which includes a financial reward through the public housing operating fund. These particular sections of H.R. 4 will help housing agencies and HUD take further steps towards reducing costs and modernizing construction practices with regard to energy.
§ Section 934-Public Housing Capital Fund amends the Capital Fund statute to include updated requirements for energy and water-use efficiency and conservation standards. This simple yet important change will require housing agencies to use modern standards for energy efficiency and conservation. In fact, most NAHRO members already use the more modern codes and standards. In many states, construction and energy codes have already been modernized.
§ Section 937-Capital Fund amends the Capital Fund further to include integrated utility management and capital planning for energy efficiency and conservation measures. This section also expands opportunities for savings and improvements through performance contracting, and lengthens the pay-back period to 20 years. This will enable housing agencies to accrue benefits for previously ineligible improvements such as wall insulation, window replacement, site-based energy generation, and advanced energy-saving technologies, including renewable energy generation.
§ Section 938-Energy efficient appliances encourages housing agencies to specify Energy-Star appliances and other products for its redevelopment and modernization projects. This section updates energy efficiency and conservation standards to the International Energy Conservation Code, which is the result of the building industry's modernization of the previous codes.
§ Section 940-Energy Strategy for HUD calls for the Department to develop an integrated strategy to reduce utility expenses through cost-effective energy conservation and efficiency measures, and design and construction standards in public and assisted housing. The Department is directed to establish an Energy Management Office NAHRO believes that new energy policies are more likely to succeed with direction and leadership established at the federal level. Such an office, with appropriate data information systems, would have been highly beneficial to the Public Housing Operating Cost Study researchers, who struggled to find data on utility practices and costs among housing agencies to complete their study.
Thank you for the opportunity to present our views and support for these sections of H.R. 4. If you have questions, please contact me at 202-289-3500, extension 231, or Christine Siksa, Policy Analyst, at extension 252.
Sincerely,
Julio Barreto, Jr.
Director, Legislative and Program Development
NAHRO
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