Better Buildings Challenge Overview

The Better Buildings Initiative, of which the Challenge is a part, emerged out of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and is spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In 2013, the Challenge expanded through partnership with HUD beyond the Commercial Sector to include the Multifamily Sector.

As of October 1, 2019 more than 95 multifamily housing providers, representing over 600 million square feet of real estate and impacting roughly 634,000 households, have made energy and/or water efficiency commitments through the Challenge.

The Better Buildings Challenge – Multifamily is diverse, including partners that:

• Own as few as two properties and as many as several thousand
• Work in a single place and nationwide
• Serve rural and urban areas
• Are for-profit and nonprofit
• Offer market-rate and affordable housing

Leaders in energy and water efficiency come in all shapes and sizes and are motivated by the opportunity to:

• Reduce operations costs
• Eliminate energy and water waste
• Improve tenant health
• Promote energy independence
• Combat climate change