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Needham committee finds charging gaps at large apartment complexes, plans outreach to managers
Summary
The Climate Action Committee reviewed an inventory showing few EV chargers at many large multifamily properties, discussed the state 'right to charge' law and resolved to pursue outreach to building managers and major property owners for best practices and funding options.
The Town of Needham’s Climate Action Committee on March 3 reviewed an informal inventory of electric‑vehicle charging at larger multifamily properties and heard that many older complexes have few or no chargers.
Committee members said the inventory shows a small number of stations relative to unit counts: one large complex had seven chargers (two outside and five in a garage) while many older properties had none. Committee members also cited state policy changes, noting a recently enacted “right to charge” law that gives tenants a process to request charging access at multifamily buildings.
Why it matters: residents who cannot plug in at home face barriers to adopting EVs. Committee members said addressing charging availability at multifamily properties is an important equity and adoption issue.
What the committee discussed and recommended: - Inventory work and outreach: committee members recommended contacting building managers and major multifamily owners (examples cited included large regional operators) to document how chargers were installed, who manages them and what they cost. Committee members suggested reaching out to large managers such as Avalon and similar firms to learn standard practices used across multiple properties. - Funding and business model questions: members said many retrofits are costly, that owners worry about lost parking spots and that some properties contract with third‑party operators (Blitz/Blink and others were cited as examples), which can set user fees and terms. The sustainability manager told the committee the town currently has no direct funding to offer building owners beyond information and technical guidance; staff can point owners to rebates and application resources but cannot provide grants at this time. - Right‑to‑charge and code context: committee members noted a recently enacted state right‑to‑charge law and said new large multifamily development codes now require a share of parking spaces be EV‑capable; committee members described existing practice as a “hodgepodge” for older properties and recommended compiling best practices and potential funding sources for retrofits.
No formal decisions were made. Committee members asked staff and volunteers to assemble a contact list of building managers, pursue interviews with property managers and document typical installation costs and operating arrangements. The goal is to produce a model or guidance package the town can share with multifamily property owners and developers.
Next steps: staff and volunteers will continue the inventory, contact managers at a short list of large complexes and look into examples from nearby towns and large property managers to identify replicable approaches.
