Community Sustainability Partners

We had a great time last week at Building Energy NYC! Our Executive Director, Esther Toporovsky, spoke on the panel "IRA Incentives for Multifamily Decarbonization: What Works, What Doesn't, and What's Coming." The discussion explored practical ways to utilize IRA tax incentives, opportunities for stacking federal incentives with state and utility programs, and?insights gained since the IRA's implementation in 2022. Panelists also shared perspectives on upcoming IRA programs and funding opportunities. Thank you Northeast Sustainable Energy Association for hosting this impactful conference! Special thanks to Content Committee members Ben Sachs-Hamilton and Tristan Grant, NESEA curators Sunitha S. and Amritha Rajan, and our fellow panelists Ion Simonides, Laura Spencer Humphrey, and Jennifer Bloom Leone AIA LEED!

Jared Lang, Principal of Housing Sustainability Advisors, and Esther Toporovsky, Executive Director of Community Sustainability Partners, recently participated in a convening hosted by The Rockefeller Foundation with some of the leaders in low-income solar finance, focusing on advancing clean energy transition and exploring innovative policy tools for community-owned projects. ? During Towards Market Transformation | Project Finance Convening the group discussed strategies for integrating renewable energy and affordable housing tax credits to overcome project financing challenges. We believe that the strategies discussed will play a crucial role in funding initiatives that drive meaningful benefits into local communities! ? Special thanks to everyone involved, including Rachel Isacoff, Anya Schoolman, Ben Healey, Eli Hopson, Nicole Steele, Abigail Corso, Ian Fischer.

We are thrilled to be a?part of this amazing cohort of experts in the field solving equity and climate issues at the Financial Innovations Roundtable! Special thanks to the teams at UNH Carsey School of Public Policy and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, particularly Claire Kramer Mills, Michael Swack, and Eric Hangen for their exceptional work and continued leadership. Check out the full report below!

Exciting Update from Our Team Retreat! ? This week, Housing Sustainability Advisors and Community Sustainability Partners came together for an energizing team retreat focused on enhancing our collaborative approach to sustainability. Our shared mission to decarbonize buildings while prioritizing community development remains at the heart of everything we do, and this session proved to be an invaluable opportunity to strengthen our collaboration. ? Special thanks to our visionary leaders - Jared Lang (Principal, HSA) and Esther Toporovsky (Executive Director, CSP) - for facilitating dynamic discussions and equipping us with practical tools to improve our efficiency and proactivity. ? Together, we're reinforcing our commitment to integrate community? development into the clean energy transition

This #ClimateWeekNYC, Forsyth Street, in partnership with Susan Leeds and Community Sustainability Partners, is focused on supporting clients in deploying the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). Our client Opportunity Finance Network received a $2.3 billion CCIA award, and we were happy to see them and many other awardees collaborating on opportunities and discussing challenges to reach low-income and disadvantaged communities with this historic grant at the "Meeting the Moment: Practical Steps for Making the Most of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund" event at NYU Stern on Tuesday.? Keep an eye out for updates on Forsyth Street's GGRF Readiness work in the mission lending sector!

We're excited to share that our Community Sustainability Partners team and Dale Bryk recently toured Bethany Senior Terraces, a Modular Affordable Passive House development in Brooklyn! This innovative project, developed by RiseBoro Community Partnership, Paul A. Castrucci, Architects, and Murray Engineering PC , features 39 affordable units for seniors and 18 units for formerly unhoused individuals, all powered by solar arrays. We're learning valuable lessons about combining modular construction with Passive House standards to address NYC’s affordable housing crisis!

We're excited to share a newly published article from the UNH Carsey School of Public Policy titled "Why the Success of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Hinges on Customer Service." This important piece was authored by Eric Hangen and Jessica L., with contributions from Dale Bryk and our own executive director, Esther Toporovsky. The article examines how customer service and community-based technical assistance are crucial for successfully deploying the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to underserved communities. Link below!

It’s been a great start to #ClimateWeekNYC! ?? ? The Community Sustainability Partners team had great conversations at the “Meeting the Moment: Practical Steps for Making the Most of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund” workshop hosted by the NYU Stern School of Business. ? To ensure equitable and efficient deployment of GGRF capital into low-income and disadvantaged communities, collaboration across community lenders, the public sector, philanthropy, the private sector, and community-based organizations is essential. CSP is committed to helping community lenders build capacity for climate lending in their market and building a robust ecosystem of technical assistance. Thank you to the great group of panelists and speakers: Tensie Whelan, Arturo Garcia-Costas, Michael Swack, Sadie McKeown, Amir Kirkwood, Cathie Mahon, Michael Yonas, Kristin Tracz, Anika Wistar-Jones, Jessica L., Erangi Dias, Eli Hopson, and Jamal J. Lewis. Looking forward to more informative events this week!

Last week, BE-Ex hosted a panel of policy and financing experts as part of our Climate Mobilization Act Series to discuss current and future funding, financing, and incentive opportunities that can be used to meet New York's ambitious climate mandates. Joe Chavez, CEM, CEA, CBCP from NYC Office of the Mayor (MOCEJ) offered opening remarks, Rory Christian, CEM, CEA from the New York Public Service Commission delivered the keynote speech, and BE-Ex's Hailey Moll presented an overview of funding opportunities. Thank you to our expert moderator and panelists for the insightful discussion! ?? Esther Toporovsky, Executive Director, Community Sustainability Partners Danielle Donnelly, Assistant Vice President of Sustainability, The Community Preservation Corporation Michael Reed, Acting Head of Large Buildings, NYSERDA Paul Stanley, Executive Director, Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking Ben Evans, Federal Legislative Director, U.S. Green Building Council ICYMI, you can find the presentation slides and event recording here: https://lnkd.in/gqgr5jk8

Excited to share that Community Sustainability Partners' Executive Director, Esther Toporovsky, will be speaking at Building Energy Exchange's event "Climate Mobilization Act Series: Funding, Financing & Incentives" Event information and registration below!