Huntsville receives funding for new home retrofit initiative
Huntsville General Committee announced they were approved for funding for a new home retrofit initiative, in the April 24, 2024, meeting.
The past couple of years the Town has been working with the Clean Air Partnership (CAP), a part of BetterHomes to help small municipalities provide retrofit programs to residents.
According to the staff report, in February 2023 “General Committee approved the inclusion of a $2M contribution to the BetterHomes Huntsville Reserve through approval of the 2023 Financial Consolidated Budget.” An application was submitted the following September, and last January the Town was notified that it was approved for program funding.
The report adds, “The approved funding includes a loan in the amount of up to $5,333,280 combined with a grant in the amount up to $2,666,640.”
Once property owners participate in the program, funds will be paid from the BetterHomes Huntsville Reserve “the Town’s 20% contribution of $2M” to go towards retrofit costs, according to the report.
Retrofit costs will then be added to the property tax roll through the Local Improvement Charge (LIC) and be tied to the property and paid back over a period of time. So, the Town portion will be recovered through the loans. Therefore, the funds will be initially paid out and gradually recovered.
CAP representative, Gabby Kalapos, advised that the energy savings of homeowners will counteract the additional cost to their tax bill.
A stipulation of the program is that the Town have 20% contribution readily available.
The report adds that goal of the funding “would allow for property owners to finance their retrofit costs over a period of time.”
CAP has provided the Town with a BetterHomes Huntsville Project Implementation Plan that includes the process of the program, and a list of potential improvements, which include high efficiency furnaces, boilers, air conditioners and water heaters, air source heat pumps, window and door replacements, insulation, and drain water recovery systems, toilet replacements, solar hot water systems/PV, and EV charging stations.
Staff are currently waiting for the draft funding agreement from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and the By-law authorizing the LIC will be forwarded to Council for considerati
