Low-Income Multifamily Housing Characteristics Study

With nearly a third of California’s low-income households living in large (5+ unit) multifamily housing, electrifying and deploying advanced electric technologies to this portion of the housing stock is critical to reaching the state’s goals for equitable climate action. Formulating policies and programs tailored to this segment’s specific housing characteristics is critical to achieving speed and scale in building electrification, yet there is a gap in statewide data on the characteristics of low-income multifamily housing. This project proposes to conduct a Low-Income Multifamily Housing Characteristics Study by analyzing Census data (e.g., American Housing Survey (AHS), American Community Survey (ACS)) and other public data sources (e.g., Low-Income Energy Affordability (LEAD) Tool, Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS)), gathering input from existing electrification and solar programs, and targeted direct data collection to fill this gap. In addition to more general market characterization, the study will address factors known to be key barriers to electrification in multifamily housing, such as the need for electrical system upgrades (e.g., wiring, circuit panels, service lines), space constraints, and existing water distribution system issues. The study will address both subsidized and “naturally occurring” affordable housing.