As Oregon summers get hotter, multifamily property owners face the challenge of finding affordable ways to keep residents cool and safe. Energy Trust of Oregon has a way to help, as the nonprofit is now offering landlords expanded reimbursement — up to 100 percent of costs — to create a cooling space in common areas for residents to use during life-threatening extreme heat.
“Serious heatwaves are not going away. Now we have a system for providing cooling at properties that serve vulnerable populations,” said Loc Le at Home Forward, a nonprofit operator of housing programs for people and families with lower incomes in Oregon.
Le and the Home Forward team participated in Energy Trust’s Landlord Provided Cooling Space initiative in 2023 to create community cooling spaces in multifamily properties where in-unit cooling could not be installed due to required electrical upgrades and budget constraints. Today, residents in six different Home Forward properties can cool off during heatwaves thanks to ductless heat pumps in each building’s common area, all paid for by Energy Trust through a grant from Oregon Department of Energy — made possible by state legislation passed in 2022.
Learn more about multifamily cooling space options and cash incentives below. Property owners can contact Energy Trust experts to get started at community.cooling@energytrust.org or 1-888-889-0018.
Why create a shared cooling space for Oregon properties
While Oregon’s population has enjoyed a historically cool, temperate climate, recent extreme heatwaves have made air conditioning more of a necessity for Oregon residents. During a historic heat dome event in 2021, June temperatures soared past 110 F, reaching up to 116 in Portland. More than 100 people died in Oregon from heat-related illness during this five-day event.
While adding in-unit cooling to existing multifamily properties is complex and cost-prohibitive for many, creating a shared cooling space is a low-cost, low-effort way to ensure your residents can stay safe and comfortable at your property for years to come.
Qualifying for no- or low-cost cooling space for your multifamily property
With funding from Oregon Department of Energy, Energy Trust of Oregon makes it easy for multifamily property owners and managers to create shared cooling spaces for residents.
Any Oregon-based multifamily property or manufactured home park can get 100 percent of the costs reimbursed to install cooling units in a shared space. Reimbursement covers up to:
- $1,400 for portable or window air conditioners (maximum $700 per unit)
- $7,000 for ductless heat pumps, heat pumps and hard-wired air conditioners
What qualifies as a cooling space?
- The space must be on-site or nearby, within a quarter mile of your property.
- The space must maintain a temperature of 80 degrees or less during a heat wave.
- The space must accommodate a minimum of five residents and be open and operating during a heat wave.
To set up a cooling space for a multifamily property in Oregon, start by contacting Energy Trust cooling experts at community.cooling@energytrust.org or 1-888-889-0018. Energy Trust offers technical assistance and contractor referrals for multifamily property owners to get started creating their cooling space, so get in touch today and offer your multifamily residents an important new amenity this summer! Learn more and get started here.
