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ULI Philadelphia: Retrofitting Affordable Housing for Net Zero
Lessons learned in retrofitting existing affordable housing developments to preserve their affordability and become carbon neutral.
The real estate industry is at a critical point to decarbonize. Ultimately, the goal will be to reach net zero, but it can be difficult to know where to start or how to push forward. The Urban Land Institute's Net Zero Imperative is a global multi-year initiative to accelerate decarbonization in the built environment and is working with a collaborative network of ULI District and National Councils, including local governments, real estate leaders, ULI local staff, and community stakeholder groups focused on decarbonizing cities and real estate.
To support efforts to reduce carbon in the built environment in Philadelphia, ULI Philadelphia partnered with the City of Philadelphia's (the City) Division of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC) to host a two-day technical assistance workshop on May 8 & 9, 2025, focused on best practices and lessons learned in retrofitting existing affordable housing developments to preserve their affordability and become carbon neutral. The primary goal of the workshop was to create a blueprint for DHCD, PHDC, and others in the affordable housing sector to successfully retrofit projects to achieve carbon neutrality while maintaining affordability. Workshop partners assembled a team of practitioners from across the country to present a range of case studies, facilitate conversations, and tour affordable housing developments, sharing best practices and lessons learned in retrofitting existing affordable multi-family housing stock nearing the end of subsidy terms to preserve affordability and become carbon neutral.
The workshop also included administrators from peer cities who have faced and overcome similar challenges in managing their affordable housing portfolios and who have structured local financing products to leverage other funds to support residential decarbonization.
This report summarizes the cases studies presented from peer city participants, affordable housing development tours, and actionable recommendations developed at the conclusion of the workshop.
Resumen del informe: The real estate industry is at a critical point to decarbonize. Ultimately, the goal will be to reach net zero, but it can be difficult to know where to start or how to push forward. The Urban Land Institute's Net Zero Imperative is a global multi-year initiative to accelerate decarbonization in the built environment and is working with a collaborative network of ULI District and National Councils, including local governments, real estate leaders, ULI local staff, and community stakeholder groups focused on decarbonizing cities and real estate.
To support efforts to reduce carbon in the built environment in Philadelphia, ULI Philadelphia partnered with the City of Philadelphia's (the City) Division of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC) to host a two-day technical assistance workshop on May 8 & 9, 2025, focused on best practices and lessons learned in retrofitting existing affordable housing developments to preserve their affordability and become carbon neutral. The primary goal of the workshop was to create a blueprint for DHCD, PHDC, and others in the affordable housing sector to successfully retrofit projects to achieve carbon neutrality while maintaining affordability. Workshop partners assembled a team of practitioners from across the country to present a range of case studies, facilitate conversations, and tour affordable housing developments, sharing best practices and lessons learned in retrofitting existing affordable multi-family housing stock nearing the end of subsidy terms to preserve affordability and become carbon neutral.
The workshop also included administrators from peer cities who have faced and overcome similar challenges in managing their affordable housing portfolios and who have structured local financing products to leverage other funds to support residential decarbonization.
This report summarizes the cases studies presented from peer city participants, affordable housing development tours, and actionable recommendations developed at the conclusion of the workshop.