Governor Evers Gives Commendation to Green Homeowners United, Tours Job Site

Last month in fact, Governor Evers also awarded Green Homeowners United an official commendation at the 1-year anniversary of Wisconsin launching the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) HOMES rebate program for having enrolled more homeowners in the IRA rebates than any contractor in the country! Wisconsin is both a leader in launching these programs (first state to launch HOMES rebate, and to have both HOMES & HEAR live) and a leader in successfully signing up our friends and neighbors.

Huge thanks for this honor has to be given to the Evers Administration, as well as Wisconsin's Public Service Commission, Focus on Energy, and local partners such as the Milwaukee Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO) and the City of La Crosse Planning Office. Together we are fighting climate change right from our homes, and creating green & union jobs in the process!

To celebrate National Clean Energy Week, yesterday Governor Tony Evers visited a jobsite of Green Homeowners United at a home in La Crosse. There he was able to see and celebrate the carbon cutting and energy bill saving benefits of energy efficiency upgrades such as air sealing, duct sealing and electrification.

Governor Evers with GHU union workers Kevin K. & Andrew L.

How Can I Sign Up?

There are 4 major incentive programs - State rebates, IRA HOME rebates (funds for whatever achieves a modeled 20%+ energy reduction), the IRA HEAR rebate for electrical upgrades, and the federal up-to-$1,200 insulation tax credit - with the first step of navigating them generally being getting an energy assessment of your home or apartment (sign up here). Of these 4 incentives, only the tax credits for middle & higher income homeowners is going away at the end of the year! Rebates are not set to go away until the State runs out of funds.

Click here to use our "IRA Rebate Calculator" to find out what we can help you with.

Green Homeowners United is now offering multifamily (4+) building energy assessments!

Do you own or live in a 4+ unit multifamily building? Well if 50% of the building's residents are low income (<80% area median income) or the building meets one of the following designations then you can receive a no-cost multifamily energy assessment! A $2,000 value.

• Section 8

• Low Income Housing Tax Credit

• Section 811

• Section 202

• Owned by a public housing authority

These assessments can unlock $5,000-$10,000 per unit in funds to pay for insulation and other energy efficiency upgrades (sometimes windows) plus up to $8,000 per unit for heat pump air-conditioners that can both cool and heat the units.

Duplexes too, mostly

Duplexes too can receive no-cost energy assessments if at least 1 unit has a low-income resident, but the process is a little different.

In addition to the individual unit receiving proof of income, the building itself needs to be income approved. This is a small additional step that we can help you with. Click here to schedule a phone call with our multifamily/duplex advisor, Brandon Pinion, to figure out your duplex’s next step.

Additionally, while Green Homeowners United can perform the energy assessment, we often need both unit's gas/electric bills to successfully unlock the $10,000-$44,000 in IRA rebates for your duplex. We can go over with you when you sign up what you may need and what your utility can provide for you.

Lastly, while the energy assessment can proceed now, the pre-approvals for the projects themselves continue to be delayed. It is still recommended to get the energy assessment in order to get in line and be ready when the state is, but at present most duplex or multifamily projects are unlikely to be able to start until November at the earliest. This process for multifamily is still rolling out, and is expected to be much more streamlined in the coming months. Again, we strongly encourage duplex and multifamily building owners to get the building income qualified, sign up for an energy assessment and lock down a scope of work with Green Homeowners United now so you are immediately ready to go. Schedule a call with Brandon for help. It will happen suddenly, be ready!

Did your basement flood recently?

We are looking for people whose basement flooded last month and whose drywall and/or wood framing was damaged or at risk of mold, as there may be a way to combine IRA incentives together with disaster relief grants and disaster repair loans to help you. Please reply to this email or schedule a call with me to discuss.

As of last week Friday's official disaster designation, those of us in Milwaukee, Waukesha or Washington Counties have less than 60 days (until November 12th) to sign up for FEMA disaster funds and/or special home repair deferred payment low-interest loans. Green Homeowners United wants to help, and is already helping provide electrical panel safety upgrades at low or no-cost.

We can show you how to sign up for a package that combines grants & low-interest fair term loans, and those that do we can offer no-cost moisture meter testing of drywall, wood, fiberglass, etc. in your basement to see if it is at risk of mold and should be removed. Ask us about a water-proof, mold-resistant alternative to drywall for finishing & insulating basements that is fire-rated, vapor barrier and wouldn't need to be removed even if another flood were to occur someday.

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Kevin Kane

Chief Economist

Green Homeowners United

(414) 604-6450‬

www.GreenHomeWI.com

Proud union employer: LiUNA 113 & 140