The Cape Light Compact is proud to announce that Pre-Application Forms for the Green Affordable Homes Program will be available starting March 7, 2008 for ROUND 2 for 25 units. Applications will be due by March 21, 2008, 4 PM ET.

Eligible homes should have all of the following elements:

(1) The home(s) must be built in one of the 21 towns of Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard.

(2) The home(s) must be deed-restricted to be affordable (according to MA G.L Ch 40B Sec. 20 AND Ch 184 Sec. 31).

(3) The home(s) must be new construction (including complete rehabilitation of existing units, "gut rehab" AND be able to reach LEED for Homes® and ENERGY STAR Homes® criteria (these are the criteria for rebates).

(4) The home(s) must have occupancy by May 31, 2009.

(5) The home(s) must be suitable for renewable energy systems

(6) The applicants of the home(s) must agree to terms and conditions of the program. Please see below for Application Form (only to be filled out by those who have been chosen for the Program), which includes Terms and Conditions, Program Guidelines (Exhibit A), LEED-H Checklist (Attachment 1), Home Size Chart (Attachment 2), Size Chart for Larger Homes, (Attachment 3), Renewable Systems Minimum Technical Standards (Attachment 4-1), Renewable System Application Forms and Instructions (Attachment 4-2).

IF YOU ARE ABLE TO MEET THE ABOVE CRITERIA,

(1) please fill out the two-page PRE-APPLICATION FORM for ROUND 2 of the Green Affordable Homes Program and submit to msong@capelightcompact.org by March 21, 2008, 4PM ET. Confirmation emails will be sent to those submittals.

(2) Please send the digital photos of the property (as stated in the Renewable Energy Elements Section) as well as plans and specs if construction is past concept (as stipulated in the Construction Data section).

If you have any questions, please call Margaret Song at 508-375-6843. All Applicants will be notified by April 4, 2008.

Please click on image to the left for the importable PDF of the Pre-Application Form.

This application does NOT need to be submitted with the Pre-Application Form. For reference purposes only. The launch meeting from February 2007 may be also be helpful. Please click here for presentation slides. We also have frequently asked questions here.

COMPACT ANNOUNCES GREEN AFFORDABLE HOMES PARTICIPANTS
Cape and Vineyard Affordable Housing to be Green and Renewable

Barnstable, Mass – The Cape Light Compact is pleased to announce its partnerships with affordable housing developers on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard to help build 60 units to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Homes (LEED-H®) and ENERGY STAR® standards as well as the sites for renewable energy systems.

The selected partners and projects are:
Anathan Benson, LLC - Gull’s Nest Condominiums -12 units - Provincetown
Falmouth Housing Authority – North Falmouth Homes, Clover – 1 unit - Falmouth
Housing Assistance Corporation – Residences at Canal Bluffs – 5 units – Bourne
Island Affordable Housing Fund and South Mountain Company – Jenney Way – 4 units
– Edgartown
Lower Cape Cod Community Development Corporation – Main Street Ext. – 12 units –
Harwich
Lower Cape Cod Community Development Corporation – Harwich Portuguese Men’s
Club – 20 units - Harwich
Town of Chilmark – Middle Line Road Community Housing Rental – 6 units - Chilmark

The individual projects were chosen competitively out of 160 total proposed units for their suitability for renewable energy systems as well as other factors such as equitable geographic distribution, demonstrated ability to meet program requirements, and occupancy by May 31, 2009.

The Cape Light Compact is the recipient of a $1.5 million grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) Green Affordable Housing Initiative.  The Compact was one of six grantees throughout the state.  The grant funds are for new construction homes that are designated affordable, consistent with the state guidelines.  $1.2 million of the total funds are earmarked for renewable energy systems to be installed on newly constructed affordable homes.  The remainder of the funds are for advanced building technology.

“We were very pleased to find that we had received the grant,” said Bob Mahoney, Cape Light Compact Chairman and Representative for the Town of Dennis.  “This benefits those who are in most need of energy efficient homes with renewable resources on the Cape and Vineyard.”

Cape Light Compact looks to build on its already successful Residential New Construction Demonstration Pilot, which supported four homes built to “green” standards in Chatham, Orleans, and Falmouth in 2003-2004. The Compact’s program will help affordable housing developers find ways to shrink the “environmental footprint” of homes and result in lower greenhouse gas emissions, including the cost of energy for those homes. Over the next two years, the program is expected to help build as many as 50 affordable housing units on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard.

The Green Affordable Housing Initiative aims to catalyze the affordable housing financing, development, and builder communities to include more green design and renewable energy in future developments.

About MTC
MTC administers the Renewable Energy Trust, which was established to generate the maximum economic and environmental benefits from clean energy resources for the Commonwealth.  The Trust has funded more than 500 clean energy projects across Massachusetts.  Please visit the agency’s website www.masstech.org for more information.

About Cape Light Compact
The Cape Light Compact, as administered through Barnstable County, is a regional energy services organization made up of all 21 towns of Barnstable and Dukes counties. The purpose of the Compact is to represent and protect consumer interests in a restructured utility industry. As authorized by each town, the Compact operates the regional energy efficiency program and works with the combined buying power of the region's 197,000 electric consumers to negotiate for lower cost electricity and other public benefits.  For more information, please call 1-800-797-6699 or go to the website, www.capelightcompact.org.