In 2019, New York State passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (“CLCPA”) into law, ushering in one of the most ambitious climate agendas in the nation.  This landmark legislation addresses climate change and minimizes the adverse impacts on the “economic well-being, public health, natural resources, and the environment of New York.” The state seeks to meet these objectives by reducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions, scaling up renewable energy to avoid further climate change, and improving the resiliency of the state to address unavoidable climate change impacts.  

Of the various economic sectors that produce the most greenhouse gases, buildings contribute 33% of New York States total greenhouse gas emissions.  This makes it imperative for NYS Homes and Community Renewal to help produce greener, more sustainable affordable housing, and to bring its existing portfolio into compliance with higher energy efficiency standards, as we move toward the CLCPA’s stated goal of 85% reduction of GHG.  The information on this page is geared toward helping developers, owners, and managers of affordable housing to help us reach these goals 

HCR’s Sustainability unit provides guidance to internal and external customers to achieve energy efficiency and lead to the reduction of carbon emissions throughout HCR’s existing portfolio and within its new construction/rehabilitation or (capital) programs. The Sustainability team aims to help achieve these reductions through implementing routine energy benchmarking, supporting green design guidelines, and leveraging existing resources and programs—such as the Weatherization Assistance Program —to improve energy efficiency throughout its portfolio.