Middleton program retrofits affordable housing; 32 units upgraded and a six-unit Lake View project adds solar and batteries

Kelly Hillyard, Middleton's sustainability coordinator, summarized a multi-year effort to retrofit naturally occurring affordable housing to reduce tenant energy burdens and carbon emissions.

Hillyard said the "efficiency navigator" project completed work in 32 units, funded entirely with federal ARPA COVID-relief dollars and a public-health grant that addressed health and safety issues. "We found some people's bills in the winter are upwards of $400 to $600 per month," Hillyard said, describing the program's emphasis on reducing utility costs for families paying high winter bills.

A separate Lake View Village project, funded by a state energy innovation grant, added solar canopies, battery storage and electric heat pumps to six subsidized units. Hillyard said the Lake View solar will offset about "75% of the tenants' electricity bill" and the batteries provide resiliency in outages.

Hillyard outlined eligibility criteria used in intake (units where tenants pay utilities, rents under HUD fair-market value and targeting areas with area median incomes at or below 80%) and emphasized the central role of a navigator to help property owners overcome technical and financing barriers. She also discussed workforce-development and metering challenges in Wisconsin that initially made multifamily solar deployment difficult and noted a recent rule change in December that improves multifamily metering options.

Hillyard recommended stacking incentives (loan programs, state and federal rebates) and involving trusted community partners early when designing a program funded from an affordable-housing closure TID, and said staff can provide more detailed case-study statistics on request.

Council members thanked Hillyard and indicated they expect follow-up information from staff about program design and eligibility.