Making low income housing affordable: The northgate retrofits

Journal Article · · Home Energy; (United States)

OSTI ID:7109427

Patullo, C ^[1]

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1. Northgate Housing, Inc., Burlington, VT (United States)

The first non-profit buyout and rehabilitation of a HUD housing complex demonstrates that energy efficiency can keep housing costs affordable, and that fuel switching can be an effective demand-side management strategy. The 1,400 residents at Burlington, Vermont's Northgate Apartments faced an uncertain future in 1988. The owners of Northgate announced that they intended to pre-pay their U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) loan ahead of schedule and convert the 336-unit complex to market level rents. What followed was a grass-roots effort to save the apartments for low-income families and the first tenant non-profit buyout of a HUD subsized project. The most powerful tool in reducing housing costs was energy efficiency. Before the Northgate rehabiliation project, some residents had to make a choice between paying the rent or paying for the heat.

• OSTI ID: 7109427
• Journal Information: Home Energy; (United States), Journal Name: Home Energy; (United States) Vol. 10:2; ISSN 0896-9442; ISSN HOENE2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320105* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Building Services-- (1987-)
320106 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Building Equipment-- (1987-)
320107 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Building Systems-- (1987-)
APARTMENT BUILDINGS
BUILDINGS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRICITY
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HOT WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NATURAL GAS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
RETROFITTING
SIMULATION
THERMAL INSULATION
WATER
WEATHERIZATION